Finding Our Way Back
by Marissa-Xtreme SelDem Fan
Summary: Five years ago, Lucas Scott left his hometown and the girl he loved behind to move to Charleston with his uncle to start a new life. He never called and never came back...until now. Five years later, she returns to Tree Hill in hopes of the quiet life END
1. Chapter 1 Moving and Memories

**Author's Note: **Hey guys! Okay, so I know I already have two stories out already, ITPOAA and The Sweetest Sin, but I was really having some tough writer's block on the next chapters for both stories and usually when this happens, I work on something else like a songfic or a one-parter, but I came up with this story. I've only got a few chapters written and a very brief outline in my head of where I want this to go, but I'm going to give it try. I know I have enough trouble updating my other two stories, but I'm going to use this story as sort of a 'get out of writer's block' story and may not be as frequent as the other two because it will be pretty much be a backburner story until TSS is done, which is nearly half over, I think. As I said before, I don't have a really detailed, set plot like I do for TSS and ITPOAA so I'm just going to let my hands do the typing and see what comes out. Anyways, I hope you guys like it! As always, please read and review!

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing. One Tree Hill and it's characters are property of the WB.

**Rating: **K+ to T (PG to PG-13)

**Finding Our Way Back**

**Chapter 1 – Moving and Memories**

Haley James surveyed her empty apartment in New York, now devoid of the furniture and boxes she'd packed weeks before. She was moving back to Tree Hill, the small town in North Carolina where she grew up; it would be her first time back in nearly six months. Haley was a fairly new actress, her being in the business for a little over two years, but she had made a name for herself quickly. With a few box office hits under her belt, she had soared to stardom.

Haley had gone to Duke and her acting abilities had been discovered by the drama teacher and soon after taking some acting classes, she auditioned for a small role in a movie. However, the director had had bigger and better ideas for her. He cast her as the leading character and her role propelled her career to the top.

A few months ago, Haley had decided that the life of a famous actress was not for her. Sure, the pay was great and you got to mix and mingle with the other celebrities, but the hours and days were long, grueling a lot of the time, and she always came home exhausted. For days after the announcement of her leaving, she had been hounded by reporters and photographers so much that she'd had to go stay with her friend Kyla for a week and a half.

Since she was leaving show business, Haley had decided to fall back on to her dream of teaching, which had been her minor in college. With her hard work and dedication, she had graduated with honors two years early and had a degree in acting as well as secondary education in History and English. While she loved acting and was good at it, that life just wasn't for her anymore. She had responsibilities, two of them the most important, and those came before anything else, even herself. Here came one of them now.

A little girl came up to Haley with a red and blotchy tear-stained face, rubbing her eyes with her small fists. She had auburn hair and brown eyes just like Haley; she wore little jean shorts, a yellow shirt with butterflies on it, and small pink jelly sandals. "Mommy, I can't find Daisy," the little girl sniffled. Daisy was her brown stuffed dog that she always had with her, except for the few times where she'd left it somewhere and forgot about it. "Katie, sweetie, I put Daisy in your backpack for the trip," Haley told her daughter, ruffling her wavy locks of hair. Katie's eyes widened in alarm, "You didn't zip it all the way up did you? She'll die from no air!" She smiled at her daughter's childish innocence and naivety. Haley led her near the front door where their bags were laid against the wall and bent down to unzip a small purple backpack. She pulled out the brown little dog and handed it to her, "See, she's fine. If you want to play with Daisy, make sure you hang on to her, we don't want to forget Daisy when we leave." Katie nodded vehemently and hugged the dog tighter to her chest as she jogged off to play somewhere.

Haley sighed and looked around her apartment once again before heading to her bedroom to take a quick nap before they started on the drive to Tree Hill. She laid on her bed and closed her eyes, trying hard to fight the nostalgia rising in her throat. She hadn't even left yet and already she was homesick for this apartment. She'd lived here for five years and it held so many memories, but now she had to leave it all behind. Two months ago, Haley had gotten a call from the very high school in which she'd spent four of her best years and had been offered a job to teach both English and History. After some deliberation, she'd called back and accepted the offer.

Haley heard footsteps and a soft, "Mommy" came from somewhere in the room. She opened her eyes to find her son standing at the edge of her bed with tears in his eyes. She sat up and pulled the little boy onto her lap, "What's wrong baby?" He buried his head into her chest, "I don't want to move." Haley rubbed his back as she tried to soothe him, "I know honey, but Mommy got a job in Tree Hill. Want to know something really cool though?" He nodded and she replied, "You'll get to see Grandma Karen and Grandma Deb almost every day! You will have so much fun with them!"

"Yeah! I love their food and they make great coffee," he responded enthusiastically. Haley narrowed her eyes at her son, "Is Grandma Karen giving you coffee again?" "No, Grandma Deb is, but she makes bad coffee, it tastes yucky. I like it when Grandma Karen makes it, she puts cocoa in it to make it taste better." Haley responded while starting to tickle him, "Well I guess I'll have to have a little chat with Grandma Karen when we get down there." "No Mommy, then she'll know I told! She won't give me coffee anymore!" Haley smirked, "That's sort of the point. Coffee's bad for you anyway, it stunts your growth." "But Mommy, you drink coffee," he replied. "That's different D, I'm a grown up, I won't get any taller. But you, little man, still have to grow way tall." "Like Shaq," Derek, her son, asked excitedly, then got a mad look on his face, "hey, I'm not little." Haley chuckled as she kissed his cheek, "You'll always be my little boy." "When are we leaving," Derek inquired. "In about two hours. Mommy needs to take a nap before we get going so you and Katie play quietly okay?" He nodded and Haley watched as her son retreated from the room.

He looked more and more like his father every day; the only thing different about him were his eyes; they were more green like his grandmother's. Haley sighed and shut her eyes tightly; she didn't want to go down that road right now. However, it was as if some unseen force began to pull her back to five years ago, back to her last year of high school. It was the year her best friend, the man she loved more than anything, had left her to move to Charleston with his Uncle Keith supposedly to 'find and fix himself'. In her mind, she was transported back to the night of the final playoff game for the Ravens at the end of their junior year. That was the game they had lost, ruining any chances of going to state playoffs, and Lucas had hurt his shoulder by a player from the opposing team ramming into him.

**Flashback**

_Haley waited outside the locker room for Lucas to see if he was okay. She saw him come out and rushed over to him, "Hey, I just wanted to make sure you were alright." "Yeah, I'll be okay," Lucas responded. There was silence for a few seconds before Lucas broke it, "I'm leaving tomorrow, Haley." She looked up at him, tears forming in her eyes, "Already?" He nodded then saw the tears and raised his hands to cup her face, wiping them away with his thumbs, "Hey, it's okay." Haley looked down at the floor then back up at him, "No it's not. I really wanted to spend your last night with you, but Nathan is waiting…" "Really, it's okay. I need to get my shoulder checked out anyway. Go," he nodded his head towards the doors. She hugged him tightly to her body, careful not to hurt his shoulder further and he whispered in her ear, "I am sure gonna miss you." "Come find me before you leave tomorrow," Haley asked of him and he nodded in response. She quickly spun on her heel and raced out of the school, fighting the tears threatening to fall down her face._

_She got into Nathan's car and he noticed her red eyes and wet cheeks. "Hales, you're crying," he stated as if she already didn't know. She wiped her eyes then turned to him, "Nathan, I know you had something special planned tonight, but can you just take me home? I want to be alone tonight." "Sure, but can you first tell me what's wrong," he coaxed gently, taking her hand in his. "Lucas is leaving for Charleston tomorrow," she said softly. He lifted her hand up and kissed it, "I'm sorry." "Me too," she murmured under her breath._

_Hours after Nathan had dropped her off, Haley was making her way to Lucas' house in the middle of the night. She'd had a startling nightmare that had shocked some sense into her, however crazy that sense seemed. She knocked lightly at the door that led directly into his room, trying not to wake Karen in the process. Lucas groggily answered the door a few minutes later, "Hales, what are you doing here? It's almost midnight." "We need to talk," she said seriously before brushing past him and entering his room. She sat on his bed and he closed the door then sat beside her. "What do we need to talk about," he inquired curiously. She turned to him with tears welling in her eyes, "Do you really have to leave? I mean, Tree Hill is your home and you're leaving everything behind." "Haley, there's nothing left for me here. I've messed up my life so much and only I can fix it. I just need to get away for a while to sort things out, get my life back on track. Things will just get worse if I stay. I need to go, Haley," he looked at her with desperation in his eyes, begging her to understand. More tears began to flow down her cheeks as she stood on her knees and wrapped her arms tightly around him, never wanting to let him go. "I am going to miss you so much… you don't know how much…" she managed to get out through her choked sobs. _

_They remained in each other's tight embrace until Haley reluctantly pulled away slightly. She stared into his blue eyes for several moments before she brought her lips crashing hard down onto his. Lucas was shocked for a few seconds but immediately began to respond to her heated kiss. Hands began to roam bodies and kisses became more passionate. Haley's fingers found the hem of his shirt and slipped them under, running them across his toned muscles and down his torso and back. She lifted the bottom of his shirt up and brought it slowly towards his head, leaving his lips only long enough to pull it off and toss it to the floor. Lucas repeated the same actions to Haley's pale pink tank top as he rubbed along her shoulders and back then moved his hands to caress the sides of her breasts. He dipped his head and brushed his lips against the column of her neck then across her collarbone, sending shivers down her spine. As he continued to do this, Lucas fingered the drawstrings on Haley's pajama pants then untied them. He gripped the waistband of her pants and slowly slipped them down until they rested in a pool at her feet. She stepped out of them and kicked them to the side then stood in front of Lucas, biting her bottom lip self-consciously in nervousness._

_His gaze trailed down her from head to toe as he stared, mesmerized by her body. Lucas' eyes drifted down to the small curve of her lips, now swollen from their heated kisses, to her shoulders and then her breasts. His gaze moved further down to her stomach then to her legs where he saw that she was wearing a pair of lacy silk underwear the same color as her tank top. While he stared over her body, an index finger followed his eyes. He pressed it lightly to her lips then trailed it down her chin and neck, between the valley of her breasts then her stomach where his hand caressed the soft skin there before coming to rest his hands on the curve of her hips. "You're beautiful," he said huskily, almost so softly that she was certain she hadn't heard him say it, before capturing her lips with his again. One of his index fingers traced light circles on her lower back and his other hand at the back of her head, running it through her soft auburn tresses. Slowly, they made their way to his bed through closed eyes and never leaving the other's embrace. Lucas gently laid Haley down then climbed on top of her and pulled the covers over them as Lucas bent his head to kiss her again and Haley smiled, giggling quietly…_

**End Flashback**

A tear trickled down Haley's cheek as she remembered that night and smiled. More tears began to fall as she recalled the morning after that night. She covered her face with her hands and began to sob at the memory.

**Flashback**

_Haley woke the next morning still wrapped in Lucas' warm embrace. She smiled as she remembered last night but then frowned as tears began to well in her eyes as she thought about what the day might bring. She carefully slipped from his grasp and dressed then stared at his sleeping form. He had a smile on his face, his hair in more disarray than it usually was, and his innocent boyish good looks made him look so peaceful. Just the sight of him made her fall in love with him all over again. _

_She was brought back to the reality that even after last night, Lucas still might leave. Lucas might think that her sleeping with him had been a mistake because she was with Nathan, but she didn't regret it one bit. Well, a small part of her did, because she didn't want to hurt Nathan. Even though she had loved Lucas for years, she knew he could never love her the way she wanted him to, as more than friends. So when Nathan showed an interest in her, she jumped in with both feet. Some part of her had wanted to hurt Lucas for not wanting to be with her, and she had one some level, because Nathan was not only his arch enemy, but also his half brother. Sure, Nathan was a nice guy, but he had a tough exterior and a temper that sometimes scared her. _

_She realized that she had gone to Lucas' house last night in a desperate attempt to keep him from leaving Tree Hill, from leaving her. She didn't want to be alone without him; he was so much more a part of her life than he knew. When going to his house the night before she had never imagined that it would escalate to such heavenly heights. She had gone there to tell Lucas that she didn't want him to leave and that she loved him, but somewhere in the midst of things, the latter part had never been said. _

_Even as she lay beneath him the night before while their breathing returned to normal, somewhere deep inside her, she knew he would still go. So wanted so badly to tell him that she loved him, but knew it would be so much harder to tell him and watch him leave than to not say it at all. So the next morning before she left his room, she wrote him a note and placed it on his nightstand then kissed him softly on his lips and quietly exited out his bedroom door. It read:_

_Lucas,_

_I hope with all my heart that you find the answers you're searching for, but just remember that there is only one Tree Hill and it is your home. I'll miss you. Goodbye Luke._

_Haley_

**End Flashback**

Haley never saw him after that night; she hadn't seen him in five years, at least not in person. Very rarely she would catch a late televised game of college or pro basketball after a long day on set and she'd see him. He always looked so happy and carefree when he played basketball, whether it was by himself, with the guys at the river court, or up against another team. He was following his dreams and it was those times that Haley knew she had made the right choice.


	2. Chapter 2 Back Home

**Author's Note: **Hey guys! So I was going to wait for a few more reviews or another day or two before I posted another chapter, but since I got those AMAZING reviews from you all, especially Ali since she hardly ever reads or responds to ITPOAA and TSS anymore, so I decided to post the next chapter. It's longer and there's lots of flashbacks. The chapters will be pretty short for a while since it will mostly bee Haley-centric with just her kids and Karen and Deb in the story right now. Anyways, I hope you like it! As always, please read and review!

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. One Tree Hill and its characters are property of the WB.

**Rating: **K+ to T (PG to PG-13)

P.S. – Ali babe, you need to start reading and reviewing ITPOAA and TSS again! I know you're really busy, but try to find time to catch up, I really love your reviews!

**Finding Our Way Back **

**Chapter 2 – Back Home**

Two days later, Haley and her kids arrived in Tree Hill after making many stops because of the restless five-year-olds. The town hadn't changed much in the six months since she last visited or even the five years she'd been gone. It was still the quiet, yet bustling little town she had grown up in and come to love.

The moving truck had already arrived the day before and she now had all her furniture and boxes in her new apartment. After sorting the boxes into the different rooms and unpacking some of them, Haley decided to take a break and head to Karen's Café to see her old friend and grab a bite to eat.

She gathered a few toys and coloring books along with crayons for the kids to keep them occupied while she talked to Karen and Deb and then called for them, "Katie! Derek! We're going to see Grandma Karen and Grandma Deb so find your shoes and I'll help you guys put them on." There was a pounding of feet as they rushed from their room, shoes in tow, to where Haley was waiting on the couch. "Yay," Derek bounced up and down happily, "I haven't seen them in FOREVER!" "Me too," Katie responded enthusiastically. She picked each one of them up and placed them on the couch then tied Derek's shoes and buckled Katie's pink jelly sandals that she almost never went without. She grabbed the bag of toys and her purse then led the kids outside, where she locked the apartment door. Haley reached out her hands to them, "Hold my hands."

As they walked along the familiar streets, Haley wondered how the old gang was and where their lives had led them. She passed by the park that held the river court and the playground she and Lucas used to frequent during their childhood and high school years and her breath hitched slightly in her throat when she saw that the old oak tree was still there. Haley began to head towards it as tears welled in her eyes, the many memories involving that tree beginning to overtake her.

"Mommy, where are we going? Aren't we going to the café," Derek asked, tugging on her hand. Still staring ahead at the tall oak, she let go of her children's hands and said softly, "You guys go play on the jungle gym for a while, but be careful. Mommy's got to do something by herself okay?" They nodded and ran off to the playground as Haley proceeded closer to her destination. Her hand ran over the rough, hardened bark as she walked around the tree, searching for the carving. She finally found it the same as it always had been since the day they'd engraved it into the tree. Clean knife marks marred the smooth wood where the bark had been stripped to write the words and she let her fingers brush softly over the indentations before dropping to her knees and covering her mouth with her hand as a choked sob escaped her lips. The engraving read:

Lucas + Haley

Best Friends Forever

The memories began to flood back full force and hit her like a ton of bricks. They had shared their first kiss under that tree at ten years old, even though they had both claimed that it be only for experimental purposes, but it was so much more for Haley. She had longed to kiss him for years, but was always afraid to. She remembered the day she and Lucas had climbed the tree and she had fallen from it, breaking her arm in two places and receiving a pretty purple cast to splint it. He'd quickly jumped from his branch to the ground and carefully held Haley in his arms as yelled for his mother to come. Even though the pain had been excruciating, Haley felt comforted and safe within his arms and somehow she felt that the pain had lessened because of it.

Her sobs became louder and wracked her trembling body even more as she recalled one of their conversations at six years old.

**Flashback**

_A six-year-old Haley and Lucas sat quietly beneath the big oak tree side by side as Haley picked a flower and Lucas gazed up at the sky, full of white, fluffy clouds. He broke the silence as a thought came to him. "Think we'll ever get married someday," he mused as he stared up into the expanse of the tree, looking at all the colorful leaves the fall season had begun to change. "Maybe, I dunno. Why," Haley asked curiously as she looked at him with her soft brown doe eyes. "Because you're my best friend. Who better to marry than the one person who knows me best, other than my mom," he chuckled as he lay back on the grass and folded his arms behind his head. "There are other girls out there that you'll like and once you find the right one, you'll know," she responded as she picked another flower and placed it in her hair. "But how do I know that you're not the right one? I mean, you know more about me than even my mom or the guys at the river court do. I can tell you things that I can't tell them," he replied seriously, with his six-year-old baby face scrunched in confusion. "Like what," she inquired. _

"_Like the time last year when we snuck out of our houses and met at the clubhouse and had a sleepover. Or the time when Mom gave us a bath together and you screamed and cried for over an hour even after she took you out because you didn't want me to see you naked," he smirked devilishly. "We were three years old, Luke," she shouted exasperatedly as she blushed a deep crimson then responded, "I didn't like boys back then." "Oh, and now you do," he asked, raising an eyebrow. "No, I still don't like boys," she replied. "Hey, what about me? I'm a boy," he objected as he turned his head back to face her. She grinned back with a mischievous look in her eyes, "Oh really? I'm sorry, I didn't realize." He shouted again, "Hey!" Haley giggled and laid down, mimicking Lucas' position with her arms under her head, "You're not like other boys, you're my best friend. That's different." "Yeah," he smiled as he stared back up at the sky. _

_There was silence for several minutes as both lay contentedly beside each other on the grass under the tall oak tree until Lucas spoke, "Hey Hales?" "Yeah," she replied a little sleepily. "If we ever do get married, what's your dream wedding like?" Haley smiled as she closed her eyes and imagined her perfect wedding, "It would be something simple, not something all flashy or big. I would be wearing a simple white dress with my hair down and have curls in it. You would be wearing a traditional black tux and we'd get married right under this tree." He smiled at the picture she'd painted for him and replied, "That sounds nice." "Yeah," Haley smiled too. Suddenly, Lucas sat upright, a disgusted look on his face. Haley sat up too, looking concernedly at him, "What's wrong?" "If-if we got married then I would-I'd…" his face scrunched up even more, "I'd have to kiss you." Hers wrinkled too and she responded, "Ewww." "I don't want to marry you anymore," he replied, "you can get cooties if you kiss a girl." "Me either, you can get cooties from kissing a boy," she responded as she lay back down. "Best friends forever then," he asked. "Yeah," she smiled back at him._

**End Flashback**

She remembered the time she and Lucas had gotten into a major fight, but for the life of her couldn't recall what it had been about now. They were eight years old at the time and he had just told her that he was going to find himself a new best friend. Haley had run to the tree and cried for hours as she ran her hand over the engraving of their names they had made the year before. Haley had visited the tree two years ago when her parents had died in a fatal car accident by a drunk driver, wishing Lucas had been there to comfort her. However, due to school and work, she had missed her parents' funeral by two days, but she had visited their gravesite next to each other and paid her respects. She had never told them about Katie and Derek and she regretted that they would never get to know their grandchildren.

This brought Haley back to the day she found out she was pregnant and the days following that life-changing event.

**Flashback**

_Haley frantically paced her bedroom floor as she counted the days and realized that she was late. All color drained from her face as she whispered to no one but herself, "Oh god, I'm late…" She took a deep breath and rationalized in her mind, 'I'm not pregnant, I can't be. I'm just stressed out with everything going on… I have to know for sure.' Haley grabbed her coat and keys then drove to a pharmacy a few miles outside of town to avoid anyone knowing her. She bought two pregnancy tests to make certain that she wouldn't get a false result then headed home. _

_Haley sat on the edge of her bed with her legs bouncing up and down nervously as she waited for the results. Thoughts were racing through her mind, causing her to have a migraine. 'What if I'm pregnant? How am I going to tell Lucas? God, how am I going to tell Nathan?' Her only time had been with Lucas and she knew Nathan would be furious if he found out because she had always told him that she wanted to wait until she got married. All that had flown out the window when she had finally realized her feelings for Lucas four years ago. _

_The timer dinged and Haley stood, not moving for a few seconds before she finally walked towards the bathroom to the test that would decide her fate. Her hands trembled as she reached for the two tests and she closed her eyes before looking at them, taking a deep breath and preparing herself for what they might read._

_Several moments passed and Haley finally opened her eyes and looked down at them. They were both blue, she was pregnant. The two tests clattered to the tile floor as sobs began to wrack her body, "Oh god… I'm pregnant…" She collapsed onto the carpeted shower mat next to the bathtub as she leaned back against it and pulled her knees close to her chest, resting her head on them. Images of Nathan's trusting face and Lucas' loving smile and his bright blue eyes swam around in her head as her cries intensified. She fell asleep on the cold bathroom floor that night._

_The next few days were hell for her; she couldn't sleep at night and barely ate. Haley had thought of ways she could gently break it to Lucas, but she found none. She hadn't talked to him since the night before he left and that was three months ago. He had never called or written and she was hurt by the fact that he could just dump her like that. She was his best friend and he had left her, she had thought he would keep in contact with her. Haley buried her head in her hands. How could she just call Lucas up without talking to him for such a long time and tell him that he was going to be a father in six months?_

_Haley didn't even have the number to the apartment Lucas and Keith had gotten in Charleston, so she decided to ask Karen. _

_As Haley entered the café, she looked to see how busy it was and noticed that there weren't many customers. She took a seat on a stool at the counter while she waited for Karen to finish taking an order from a table. Haley noted that Karen's eyes had begun to lose their sparkle, her happiness drowned out by sadness all due to the leaving of her son, but she put on a front for everyone just as she herself had been doing. She was hurting too; her best friend and the man she loved had left her. _

_Karen placed the order and returned to the counter then spotted Haley and walked over. "Hey Haley, can I get you anything," the older woman inquired, giving her a smile. "Do you have a few minutes to talk," she asked, toying with a napkin. "Sure, just let me go get Deb from the back so she can cover for me. Are you sure you don't want anything," Karen replied as she lifted the coffee pot up in questioning. Haley waved her hands and shook her head no then responded, "Some hot chocolate with marshmallows would be nice." Karen's smile faded slightly as she remembered that Lucas had always loved her hot chocolate. She patted Haley's hands, "I'll be right back."_

"_Here you go," Karen replied as she placed the mug in front of Haley who said, "Thanks." "Now what did you want to talk about," Karen asked concernedly. Haley had always been like the daughter she never had. More often than not, Haley's parents had been off on business trips ever since she was young so Karen had taken care of her until she was able to stay at home by herself. Haley wrapped one hand around the mug while she stirred the liquid and stared into the brown mixture, "How are you?" Karen replied with a forced smile, "There have been some good moments. How about you?" "Same here. I miss him. Have you talked to him since he left?" _

"_Yeah, he calls every two weeks; I wish it were more though," Karen responded wistfully. Haley's face fell at this admission and said softly, "Oh." He'd been keeping in contact with his mom, but he hadn't even called her, his best friend? She was so confused. Why hadn't he called her? Karen continued, "He's so vague about everything, he seems happy though. He asks about you, you know. But I never know what to tell him; you hardly talk to me anymore and you're so quiet now. I don't know what's going on in your life, we always used to be able to talk to each other…." _

"_I know…it's just so hard, I miss him so much… and I haven't talked to him since he left…" Haley began to sob almost uncontrollably as she brought a napkin to her mouth to try and muffle her cries. Karen wrapped an arm around her back and rubbed her shoulder while she brushed a stray strand of hair from her face, "Oh baby, I miss him too." Now Karen was in tears and she kissed Haley's forehead. _

_Deb came up to them with a plate in hand, "Here are the fries you ordered Karen." The woman turned to her and Deb saw that both the girls were crying. She mouthed to Karen, "What's wrong?" and Karen mouthed back, "Lucas." Deb nodded in understanding then went off to wait on some tables._

_Karen comforted Haley for a few minutes until she was calmed down and not crying anymore, but still sniffling. "Are you hungry? Do you want some fries," she asked, lifting the plate and offering it to the young woman. Haley shook her head no, quickly pushing it away and sliding off the stool, running to the bathroom. Karen followed and found Haley in one of the stalls, hunched over a toilet and throwing up. "Are you alright sweetie," she asked concernedly as she gathered up her hair and held it for her. Again she shook her head no and coughed a little. Haley felt like she could not stop vomiting; her stomach contracted and gave her the urge to throw up but there was nothing left so she just kept retching, causing her throat to become sore. She took a few deep breaths to try and calm down, succeeding slightly, then leaned back against the wall as she closed her eyes and tears cascaded down her cheeks. With worry laced in her tone, Karen asked concernedly, "Haley, are you pregnant?"_

_Without opening her eyes, she nodded. "Oh honey…" Karen hugged her and Haley buried her face in her chest, feeling comfort in her strong embrace. Karen had always been a mother to her and at times seemed more of a mother than her own; this was one of those times. "Have you told Nathan yet," Karen questioned softly. "No," Haley responded in a squeaky whimper. There was silence for a few moments before Haley said quietly, "Karen, there's something I haven't told you… um, Nathan's not the father…" Haley pulled her legs to her chest, trying to curl into a tight ball, fearing Karen's reaction. "Who," Karen asked softly. "Lucas is," Haley responded before burying her head in her thighs as she cried. There came a gasp from beside her as Karen covered her mouth with her hand and her eyes widened in shock, "When did-" "The night before he left," Haley said, her response muffled by her head being tucked against her legs, before Karen could finish her sentence, already knowing her question. Karen slowly let out the breath she'd been holding in and replied, "You need to tell him." "I know… I don't have his number at the apartment, do you have it," Haley asked as she finally got the courage to look up at the older woman. Karen nodded and gave her a small smile then brushed a strand of hair from Haley's face. "Everything will be okay, honey," she kissed the young woman's forehead then broke down into tears herself, "you're both just kids yourselves…" They both sat there and cried as they clung to each other for another hour._

_Afterwards, Haley went to the park and sat under the old oak tree. Somehow she always felt closer to Lucas whenever she was around that tree. Her fingers traced the carved words and she slowly let her hand slip down the trunk then came to rest it on her stomach. "Where are you Lucas? I need you. Please come back," she cried aloud, as if somehow he could hear her._

_A week passed and she still had not called Lucas. Well, she had attempted to, but as soon as he answered the phone, she had hung up. She recalled her conversation with Karen and realized that she couldn't tell him. He was happy and she didn't want to ruin that for him. Plus, she knew of his dreams to go to college and play pro basketball. She couldn't and wouldn't deny him his dreams._

_Nathan had noticed a change in Haley too; she avoided him like the plague most of the time and when she did spend time with him, to keep up the appearance that nothing was wrong, she was withdrawn. _

_One morning he was down at the river court shooting some hoops when Haley walked up to him, her arms wrapped tightly around herself. "Hales, you okay," he asked concernedly, noticing her pale complexion. "I really need to talk to you…" she trailed off as she stared down at her feet. "Okay," he replied hesitantly as he picked up his basketball and she walked over to the picnic table beside the court, sitting on the wooden bench. "I'm sorry…" Haley said as tears began to fall down her cheeks. "What's wrong Haley, you're starting to scare me," Nathan asked, placing a hand comfortingly on her back. "I-I'm… pregnant…" she trembled as her body shook with emotion. Nathan immediately stiffened and stood up, pure hatred and anger in his eyes. "Whose is it," he asked in a low, cold growl that caused Haley to shudder in fright. She had never imagined that, that one night with Lucas would have such devastating consequences to her life. In the same cold tone, Nathan asked, his eyes piercing through her, "It's Lucas' isn't it?" Haley nodded and hung her head in shame; she hadn't wanted to hurt Nathan. "I'm sorry…" she responded as a sob escaped her lips. In a low, angered voice, he replied, "We're over. Don't even try to talk to me; I don't want to see you ever again." With that, he grabbed his basketball and ran from the court. _

**End Flashback**

Haley was hunched over with her head close to the ground, emitting quiet cries when Katie spoke up behind her, "Mommy, I'm hungry." "Me too," Derek piped in, "can we go to the café now?" Haley wiped her eyes then stood and faced her children, "Yeah, come on guys, let's go get something to eat." She took their hands in hers and walked from the park, giving the tree one last stare as it disappeared from her view.

As they entered the café, Haley was hit with another memory when her eyes landed on her favorite spot at the counter, the last time she had sat there.

**Flashback**

_It had been two weeks since she had told Karen that she was pregnant and she now sat with her at the counter, talking quietly so no one would hear. Tears welled in her eyes as her voice cracked with emotion, "I can't do this anymore Karen. I can't be here; it hurts too much. There are so many memories of him here…" "Haley, if you just tell him…" Karen pleaded with her eyes wide, slowly shaking her head from side to side. "I can't… I know how much he wants to go to college and play in the NBA; I won't take his dreams away from him. Karen, I'll tell him, but just not now. I have to do it in my own time and I'm just not ready to tell him yet," Haley begged her to understand. Karen nodded her assent and Haley replied, "Karen, I can't stay here anymore. I'm leaving Tree Hill." _

_The older woman gasped and tears welled in her eyes, "Haley, you can't leave!" "I-I have to. Everything reminds me of Lucas and I just can't… I can't be here right now, it hurts too much," Haley responded, squinting her eyes shut at Karen's worried face, which looked so much like Lucas' when he was concerned. Karen engulfed her in a tight embrace and stroked the back of her head, "I guess I understand… do you know where you'll be going?" Haley shrugged a little, "I don't know, I was thinking about maybe heading up to New York. Or maybe I'll just head up the coast and see where the road takes me, I haven't really decided yet. I just know that I need to get out of Tree Hill." The older woman hugged her again, "You come see me before you leave okay? You be careful out there. And call me while you're on the road and when you get to wherever you're going, alright? I'll be worrying too much about my daughter and my grandchild even with you calling, so you better call me." Karen discreetly placed her hand on Haley's stomach between them and buried her head in the crook of the younger woman's neck, "Both my kids are leaving me…" _

_Haley wrapped both her arms around Karen's shaking form and quietly comforted her. "P-Promise you'll visit," Karen asked with watery eyes and a trembling chin. "I promise. I'll be okay. I will call you every few days on my trip and I'll call you when I get there," Haley responded. Karen wiped her eyes and gave a small smile as she cupped Haley's cheek, "I love you my daughter." Haley covered Karen's hand with her own as tears welled in her eyes, her hormones beginning to take over, "I love you too Mom." Karen let out a slight laugh as she wiped her eyes again, "We've got to stop crying or I'm going to start looking like a raccoon." Haley grinned, "Me too." "Are you hungry," Karen asked, getting up from her stool and walking behind the counter. The other girl responded with a smile and a roll of her eyes as she looked down at her stomach and rubbed it tenderly then gazed back up, "When am I not hungry?" A twinkle sparkled in Karen's eyes, "Ah, the joys of the symptoms of pregnancy. I sure don't miss those. I loved being pregnant with Lucas though. I swear it seems just like yesterday he was learning to walk and speaking his first words…" Her expression saddened and the happiness dulled from her eyes as she thought of her son. Trying to lighten the mood a little, Haley suggested, "Why don't we have some hot cocoa with marshmallows? I could use something chocolaty right now." _

**End Flashback**

When Karen heard the bell above the café door, she looked up and blinked before breaking into a hundred watt smile and shrieking as she raced towards the trio. "Haley," she screamed and hugged her tight then pulled back and called out, "Deb! Haley and the kids are here!" "Hey Karen," Haley smiled as she hugged her again, "I missed you so much…" "Why didn't you call me before you came down? You usually do, but hey, I'm not complaining," she grinned. "Haley," Deb yelled as she appeared from the back, mirroring Karen's actions by running to her and wrapping her arms around the young woman, "it's so great to see you!" "Hey what about us," Derek's small voice said from down below among the taller, older people. "Yeah, what about me," Katie asked. Haley laughed; she was so self-centered even as a five-year-old.

Karen crouched down to their level and smiled, "You guys have grown up so much since I last saw you! Come give grandma a hug!" The two children wrapped their small arms around Karen's neck as Haley smiled in awe. "Come here you two little rascals. Grandma Deb wants a hug too," Deb said as she opened her arms wide for them to enter. They hugged her too and then Haley said, "Kids, why don't you go to that table over there and color while we talk." "Okay Mommy," Derek responded as he took the bag from Haley and headed to a nearby table Haley had pointed to, his sister following close behind.

"God, they've gotten so big and it's only been six months! What are you feeding those two, Miracle Gro for Kids?" Karen remarked as she stared at her grandchildren. Haley laughed, "No." "What would you like to drink Hales," Karen asked, "anything to eat?" "Coffee is fine for now. I may have something to eat a little later though," Haley replied. "You still into that bad habit? I mean, you're short enough, pretty soon you'll shrink and shrivel away," Deb joked. "It kept me alive during those late nights on set and it's the only thing that keeps me awake lately. Besides, I won't be getting any shorter; I've hit my limit," Haley responded then said, "lots of cream and two sugars please." "Still won't take it black will you," Karen smiled as she got out a mug and poured some coffee in it then added the cream and sugar. "Nope, can't stand the stuff," Haley's face scrunched in disgust then replied, "Oh, and about that bad habit… I seem to have heard that you've been passing it onto my young, sweet, innocent little children whose minds are very impressionable…" "Have they been telling you we've been giving them coffee," Deb asked with a laugh. "Yeah, you wouldn't know anything about that would you," Haley asked with a raised eyebrow. "I only give them cocoa but I tell them that there's coffee in it so they will stop pestering me about it and get them to stop saying 'Mommy drinks coffee. We want to drink some to be more like Mommy'." Karen answered. Haley turned to Deb, still with a raised eyebrow. "Okay, so I gave it to them ONE time! But I put too much cream in it and they didn't like it! What's an old lady to do? Those kids are irresistible," Deb exclaimed as she threw her hands up in the air. "You're not old Deb. You're only forty," Haley responded. "Only forty? Only forty! I might as well be reserving my grave right now," Deb joked. "Well then Karen might want to do that with you because she's not far behind you; she's thirty-nine." "Yes, remind me of how old I feel," Karen replied sarcastically. "Sorry Karen," Haley laughed and then they settled down to talk.

"So, what brings you down here for a visit and how long are you staying," Karen asked earnestly. The last time Haley had visited, she'd only stayed a day or two and they hadn't had any time to really catch up on all the things they needed to or just even to hang out and play with her grandkids. Haley smiled, "For as long as you like. I'm back; for good this time." Both Karen and Deb's eyes widened in surprise. "Really? When are you moving here? Where are you moving? When did you decide this? Why didn't you tell me," Karen bombarded her with questions. "I already moved here, yesterday. I got this great apartment on Rose Garden. It's got two bedrooms and one bathroom, kitchen, utilities. It's a standalone apartment, not attached to anything. It's a small house really, but you know me; I always preferred things small, nothing all big or flashy. It's cozy and it's home," Haley smiled. "Again, when did you decide this and why didn't you call me," Karen inquired. "I decided about two months ago. I love acting but that kind of career isn't for me. Derek and Katie are my life and I don't like being away from them all the time and I would regret it if I wasn't there for them while they were growing up. So I decided to quit acting and now I'm going to be a teacher down at the high school, teaching English and History. I wanted to surprise you." Karen hugged her, "It's good to have you home Hales." Haley wrapped her arms tighter around the older woman, "It feels good to be home."


	3. Chapter 3 An Old Haunt and A Familiar F...

**Author's Note: **Hey guys! I was having trouble writing a new chapter for ITPOAA so I decided to take a break and update this story. It's really short and not much goes on and it's kind of crappy, but oh well. Not much else to say… I hope you like it! As always, please read and review!

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing. One Tree Hill and its characters are property of the WB.

**Rating: **K+ to T

**Finding Our Way Back **

**Chapter 3 – An Old Haunt and A Familiar Face**

A few days later, Haley was settled in enough and she decided that it was time to revisit her old high school and get things squared away for when she started teaching there in two weeks. She left the kids with Karen then drove to Tree Hill High. She parked her car and just sat there for several minutes, staring at the old building and its surroundings. Slowly, she stepped out of her car and began to walk towards the doors, pulling on the handle and entering the cool building. The high school hadn't changed much either in the last five years since she'd left this place, Haley thought to herself as she looked around. She walked down the hallway towards the front office and she was bombarded with a sense of nostalgia as she passed the tutoring center. It was a good thing hardly anybody was around because tears were welling behind her eyes; it was an early release day and the kids had already been dismissed from school for the day.

"Miss James," someone called out cautiously from behind her. Haley turned and saw an older woman around her mid-forties with blonde hair perched on her head in a loose bun. Haley nodded and she approached the woman, who stuck out her hand in greeting. "Hi, I'm Mrs. Townsend. We spoke on the phone." "Hello Mrs. Townsend," Haley shook the principal's hand and smiled. "Oh please call me Becky," the woman waved her hand in dismissal of the formality. "You can call me Haley," she responded. "Okay, let's get you started. The front office is here, the lounge is just down the hall to your left, and…" Becky stopped when she saw Haley chuckling and trying to cover it up by putting a hand to her mouth. Her brows crinkled in confusion, "What's so funny?" "Unless things have changed, I pretty much know where everything is. I went to high school here," Haley responded. Becky's cheeks tinted slightly pink, "Oh I'm so sorry. My new assistant didn't tell me you'd gone here! Well then, let me show you to your classroom and we'll get everything else all finished for next Monday." Haley nodded then followed her down the halls.

They reached a door and Becky went to unlock it. "Mrs. Benson's room? Did the old woman finally keel over? I swear, she was over a hundred years old even when I had her!" Becky laughed, "No, she's retiring. There comes a point in time when a teacher loses her credibility." "Oh, so she went crazy? That isn't so weird, a lot of people always thought she was a little looney." The woman chuckled again, "You're a funny one. The kids will love you." "I hope so," Haley replied. "I know seniors can be kind of intimidating but don't let them get to you. You'll do just fine, I know it," Becky responded with a confident smile. "Thanks," Haley answered as she walked around the classroom. "Well, here are your set of keys and you can get your school id on your way out. Feel free to come see me if you have any questions." "School id? God I hated those! I always had the worst pictures! Is there any way I can get an id without a picture," Haley joked. Becky laughed again as she walked out of the classroom, waving to her, "See you next Monday Haley."

Haley stayed in the classroom a while longer then began to wander about the halls. Twenty minutes later, she found herself standing outside the double doors of the gym. She hesitated a few minutes before slowly pulling open one of the doors and entering. It still smelled the same way it always had: sweat, rubber and dirty gym socks. She stared up at one of the basketball hoops from center court and remembered all the times she had watched Lucas make basket after basket in his games. In a far corner, she spotted a rack of basketballs and jogged over to get one. She returned to her spot and bounced it a few times before positioning the ball in her hands and launching it from her hands into the basket. Haley smiled; Lucas had taught her that.

"Nice shot. Who are you," a gruff voice sounded from behind her. Startled, Haley spun around, a hand to her chest. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw who it was. "Haley James is that you?" "Coach Durham," Haley nodded. "Nobody still calls me that. It's always been Whitey; I've told you countless times. You were the only one who always called me that, no matter what I told you. You were stubborn as hell," Whitey chuckled as he remembered her when she was younger. "Yep, and still am," she smiled, "I see you're still here, you still coaching after all these years?" "Yeah. I'm retiring in a couple months though. Finally decided it was time to turn over my hat and whistle to someone else." "Good for you. You deserve it after so many years of coaching." "Thank you. So, what brings you back to Tree Hill High," he asked. "Opportunity and a paycheck," she smirked. "Still got that sense of humor, I see. You're the new English and History teacher?" "Yep, I start in two weeks," Haley replied. "Good for you. You were always a great student. Now you can put those tutoring skills to good use," he winked at her. She laughed in response. "Well, I've gotta get home. It was nice seeing you again Haley," he said as he hugged her. Haley patted his back, "You too. I'll see you around school Coach Durham." "It's Whitey," he replied gruffly. Haley chuckled, "Whitey."

After Whitey left, Haley wandered around some more and she stopped when she saw the trophy case. She slowly walked over and stared at all the basketball memorabilia. Then she saw him. It was a picture of him with his arm around her and a trophy in his hand, both smiling widely. The picture was situated next to his old Ravens jersey with the number three on it. She traced the lines of his face in the picture and ran her thumb over his lips before pulling away and quickly moving down the hallway, tears falling down her face. She wouldn't think about him; it just hurt too much.


	4. Chapter 4 This Place Just Keeps Pulling...

**Author's Note: **Hey guys! I'm back with another chapter of FOWB! I know it's kind of short, but they will be for a little bit until I get more into the story and more things start happening. Anyways, I hope you like it! As always, please read and review!

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing. One Tree Hill and its characters are property of the WB.

**Rating: **K+ to T

**Finding Our Way Back **

**Chapter 4 – This Place Just Keeps Pulling You Back**

The two weeks passed by quickly and on Monday, Haley made her way towards her classroom. She was nervous. Sure, she had taught high school kids before during her teaching internship, but now there wasn't another person watching over your shoulder to make sure you didn't make any mistakes. She unlocked the door to her classroom and went in, staring around the room. She had decorated her classroom with posters, books, and other various things in preparation the week before. Haley settled down in her desk and began to rehearse what she would say to her students as she looked over the materials she would hand out to them. It was the first day of school after all and as with the beginning of every year and new semester, teachers had to distribute a course syllabus and then discuss it with them.

The bell rang and soon the students began to file into the classroom, taking seats next to their friends. As she looked around, she could already recognize some of the different cliques. The cheerleaders were off to the right, gabbing about some new hot actor or what they did over the summer. Jocks were in the far left back part of the classroom nearest to one of the doors. The geeks or the 'intelligent' people were in the front and center and whoever was left, which were usually the loners, were stuck smack dab in the middle. It was a weird social circle, but it still reminded her of her high schools days and how the cliques back then still resembled the ones today. Maybe it was some unwritten tradition that it always stayed this way, Haley mused.

Once the final bell rang, Haley stood from her desk and began to address her students. She was interrupted by a few whistles from the jocks, who had noticed how young and hot she was. She gave them a disapproving shake of her head then continued on, "Good morning class. My name is Haley James and I am the new English and History teacher here at Tree Hill High School. How was everyone's summer?" Some spoke about what they did, some just muttered, and the others didn't say anything at all. This was going to prove to be a tough class.

The next class was much better. The social circle wasn't as prominent and everyone seemed to get along well. More of them spoke out and stated their opinions on things when asked. She knew that this class would be much more fun and laid back. Haley had prep third hour so she spent the time inputting information from the student contact sheets she had passed out to her classes and preparing for her next class, which was her only History class.

At lunch time, she felt like a teenager again. She took her lunch to the teacher's lounge and looked around at all the staff broken off into their own little groups and she felt out of place because she didn't really know anybody there. So she sat at a table by herself and decided to make a seating chart for her first hour so they could get to know different kinds of people outside of their little cliques. Haley was eating her peanut butter and jelly sandwich when she felt a tap on her shoulder. "May I join you," Whitey asked. Haley looked up at him and smiled, thankful for a familiar face. "Sure, pull up a seat," Haley replied. "Still brown bagging it, I see," he chuckled when he saw what Haley had brought for lunch. "Has the cafeteria food gotten any better since I was last here?" "Nope, still a bunch of slop," he smiled. "Now you see why," Haley raised an eyebrow with a smirk on her face.

After that, Haley and Whitey began to talk about what Haley had been doing with herself before deciding to come back to Tree Hill High. "So, where did you go after high school? You told me you were going to UNC but then a couple months after you graduated, I heard from Karen that you'd left town," Whitey inquired. "I went to New York and graduated with honors from NYU two years early. I pursued acting for a while but then I decided it wasn't the kind of career I wanted. I'd always loved tutoring the kids back when I was in high school and I'd gotten a teaching degree at NYU so I chose to come teach back here. This place just keeps pulling you back, doesn't it?" "Yeah, it does," Whitey responded as he looked around the room.

Later that day, with school dismissed, Haley made her way to Karen's Café to pick up her kids. They didn't start kindergarten for another two weeks. As soon as they saw her, they ran over and wrapped their little arms around her neck. Haley closed her eyes and smiled as she hugged them both tight. "Hey guys, I missed you. Did you have fun with Grandma?" Both nodded emphatically in response and Haley picked Derek up. He had always been the baby of the two, not only because he was the youngest, by like four minutes, but also because he had been small at birth. For a month after he was born, Derek had had to stay at the hospital in an incubator up in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit because he was so small and having breathing problems. It had been touch and go for the first week or two, but Derek had pulled through. And Haley thanked God every day for that. She didn't know what she would do without her son, Katie too. Katie had been born of normal size and weight, already having a full set of lungs on her that she made sure worked when she came out.

"You two ready to go home," she asked them as she took Katie's hand and walked over to the counter where Karen was drying some mugs. "Hey Karen, I'm going to take the kids home. Thanks for taking care of them for me. You're a life saver," Haley said as she gave the older woman a one-armed hug. "No problem kiddo. I love spending time with those two," Karen replied as she patted her back. "Bye grandma," both responded in unison. Haley shook her head a little and smiled. It was weird how they did that sometimes, saying things at the same time or finishing each other's sentences. Maybe it was a twin thing. But Haley and Lucas had done that too. The brightness in Haley's eyes dulled and tears formed behind her eyes. Why couldn't she just stop thinking about him? Oh yeah, because she loved him and she was the mother of his children, who kept reminding her of how much they were like Lucas, especially Derek.

Haley and the kids arrived home and while they went off to play, she changed into more comfortable clothes and prepared dinner. That was when she noticed the little red light blinking on her answering machine. She pressed the button and immediately smiled at the voice. _'Haley James, get your ass up and answer the damn phone! Oops, sorry, little ears are probably around. Well, I have some VERY important news to tell you… SO CALL ME!' _It was her best friend Kyla. They had met Haley's freshman year of college and she was two years older than her, graduating a year before Haley. They had been best friends since then and she had been Haley's rock through everything. When she moved to New York, throughout her pregnancy, and after the kids were born. Haley missed her terribly. That was one of the downsides to moving back to Tree Hill; she would be leaving her best friend behind.

She quickly dialed the number she knew by heart and waited for her to pick up. When the phone was finally answered three rings later, Haley smiled again. "Hello," Kyla asked into the receiver. "Hey Ky," Haley said, her grin growing wider, finally happy at being able to talk to her friend. "HALEY!" Kyla shrieked and Haley had to pull the phone away from her ear to avoid going deaf. "So what's this SO important news you needed to tell me so much that you left bad words on my answering machine so my kids could hear," Haley inquired. "Oh, sorry about that. I was really excited about telling you that I kind of went crazy there. Well, I wanted to tell you that I miss you so very much…" "Yeah, I miss you too Ky. None of the people I know here are around my age. It sucks not having you here," Haley responded sadly. "About that…" Kyla began and after a pause long enough to where Haley was about to say something, she continued in a happy little shriek and Haley knew she was jumping up and down in excitement, "I'm moving to Tree Hill!"

"What? Ky? How? Your publisher is in New York! You can't just leave your job like that!" Haley said incredulously. "I talked to my publisher and he said that I can work from wherever I want, as long as I meet the deadlines on time. So, I'm moving to Tree Hill to be with you and the kids. I'm sure Karen is already tearing her hair out from those feisty little rascals," Kyla grinned as she thought of Haley's children. Kyla was a writer and had already published a book, which was quite a feat for someone so young. She was also a waitress at a coffee shop on the side because she couldn't live off the money she was getting from the publisher. "Oh Ky," Haley sighed, a few tears rising to her eyes, "thank you. I miss you so much. It's been good being back but it's also been hell without you here. I keep seeing him everywhere…in pictures, his old trophies at the high school, and I keep imagining that one day he's going to walk into the café… It's just been really hard without having a shoulder to cry on."

"Aww Hales, don't cry. Be happy! At least you can look forward to me coming down there. I have to pack up my apartment and get things squared away with the publisher and work but I'll be moving down there in about three weeks." "Three weeks? I don't think I can wait that long," Haley replied. "We've been away from each other three weeks already. What's another three," Kyla responded. "Too long," Haley said with a pout forming on her face. "Don't give me that pout Haley James." "I can't help it. I miss you and now I have to wait three more weeks to see you? It's not fair," Haley responded in a childish tone. "Hey just think of it this way. What if I wasn't moving to Tree Hill?" "I don't want to think about that. I'm really glad your coming down here Ky," Haley replied sincerely. "Me too Hales," Kyla said. "Well, I've got to finish cooking dinner for the kids then give them baths. Talk to you later?" "Definitely," Kyla replied with a nod. "Bye," Haley said and the other girl said her farewell too then she hung up the phone. Haley leaned back into the couch as she smiled, happy that she would have her best friend with her again.


	5. Chapter 5 Missing You Still Hurts So Mu...

**Author's Note: **Hey guys! Here's another chapter to Finding Our Way Back! I know it's freakishly short and bland like the last chapter but I promise you the next one will be a little longer and you can look forward to the next update because the next chapter will have Lucas in it and where he is and all that good stuff. Anyways, I hope you like this chapter even though it kind of sucks. As always, please read and review!

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing. One Tree Hill and its characters are property of the WB.

**Rating: **K+ to T

**Finding Our Way Back**

**Chapter 5 – Missing You Still Hurts So Much**

"Aunt Kiki," the two kids screamed in excitement when they saw Kyla get out of her car. When they were first learning to talk, they of course couldn't pronounce her name so they called her Kiki. They called her Ky now too, but they loved to call her Kiki and the name stuck. The two kids had been playing out in the yard as Haley watched them from a lounge chair. "Hey you little rascals. Have you been good for Mommy," Kyla asked as she leaned down to hug them. "Of course, we're the bestest," Katie replied. "Yeah, the best," Derek replied. Even though he was small, even smaller than Katie had been, from being premature, he was really smart and a bit more literate in his pronunciation than his sister. Haley rose from her seat and rushed over to her friend, "Ky! I'm so glad you're here." Kyla wrapped her in a tight hug, "Me too. I missed you and the kids SO much!"

They sat down and talked for a little while, catching up over what had been happening in their lives, especially in Tree Hill, even though they talked at least twice a week since Haley had moved down there two months ago. Kyla asked, "So, I'm getting hungry. You got any food in this place?" Haley laughed, "Are you kidding me? I have two growing five year olds. What do you think?" "True," she replied. "How about we go to Karen's? She hasn't seen you in forever. When was the last time you came down with me?" "Oh gosh, I don't know. It was maybe a year or two ago. I can see that Tree Hill hasn't changed much since then," Kyla mused as she looked around. "No, it really hasn't. Not even in the five years I was gone either. Everything's just about the same…" Haley replied with a hint of sadness in her voice. "Thinking about him, huh," she inquired softly. Haley nodded as she wiped away the tears that had welled in her eyes.

"Everything around here still reminds me of him and I miss him and it still hurts so much…" Haley cried. Kyla wrapped her arms around her friend and rubbed her back, trying to comfort her. "He never even once called me, Ky," she sniffled. "I know," she responded softly as she stroked her hair. Kyla held her friend in her arms as she cried for another fifteen minutes. She slightly shook her head as she stared down at the young woman in her arms and rubbed her back. She still loved him so much.

Haley sat up and wiped the tears from her eyes, "I'm sorry, I'm not being a good host. Let's go get something to eat at the café. Let me just round up the kids and get them ready." Haley stood and Kyla grabbed her arm, "Haley, you don't have to worry about being a host with me. I'm your friend and I'm here for you, anytime you need me." Haley sucked in a large breath, trying to keep the tears from falling again, as she hugged her friend, "Thank you." "No problem Hales. Now let's go get those little rascals and go to the café. I'm starving," Kyla replied. Kyla helped Haley put on their shoes and got their bag ready then they strolled along the streets of Tree Hill to the café. It was nearing autumn and the leaves were beginning to turn different colors. Haley had always loved the autumn. She loved to watch the leaves change, the ducks beginning to fly south for the winter, the cool air settling in but not too cold that you needed a jacket, but just a light sweater or hoodie.

Haley flinched at the thought. She'd promised herself she would try not to think about him. She was back in Tree Hill for her kids. She wanted them to grow up where she did. As much as it sometimes hurt her by the memories of the town and all the things they did together, she was doing this for her kids. Despite everyone knowing everybody's business, all the gossip, the drama, Haley loved this little town she had grown up in. She wanted her kids to experience that. She wanted to watch Derek play basketball down at the rivercourt. She wanted to watch Katie help Karen out at the café. Katie had always loved to help Haley cook, and Derek did too. She wanted her kids to go to Tree Hill High and have all the experiences she did. Well, maybe not the love triangle and all the drama that comes with being a teenager, and when you're in Tree Hill, there's lots of it.

They finally reached the café and when they entered, Karen looked up and smiled brightly. "Kyla! It's so good to see you," she said as she rushed over and hugged her. "You too Karen. It's been so long since I've seen you. How's everything been going?" "Everything is great! I'm so glad to have my little Haley and my grandkids back home," Karen smiled as she rubbed the top of Haley's head and gave her a tight squeeze. Haley gave her a quirky smile. "Mommy, can we eat now? I'm hungry," Katie said as she tugged on her pants. "Sure honey, let's go grab a table," Haley responded as she took their hands and led them to a nearby booth, both Kyla and Karen following in their wake. "Okay, what do you guys want to eat for lunch," Karen asked as she took out her order pad. "Come eat with us Karen. There's not many customers right now, the waitress can handle it," Haley said as she looked around the café. "I will, just let me get your orders and we can all eat together. What do you want?" "BLT for me," Haley replied then turned to her children, "What do you want guys?" "Grilled cheese," Katie answered. "I want a BLT like Mommy," Derek responded. "Turkey Club please," Kyla replied as she put down her menu. "Okay, I'll be back out in a flash," Karen replied as she moved to the kitchen to make their food.

"You know, you should work here. That coffee shop back in New York was almost the same as this place and you'll still need money besides what you get from the publisher. Plus, you could help keep an eye on the kids after they get out of school before I come pick them up," Haley suggested a few minutes later after some thought. "That sounds like a great idea Hales. I'll ask Karen about it," she answered. "Ask me about what," the older woman inquired as she approached the table with their food. "I was just telling Ky that it would be great if she could work here at the café. She has experience from working in a coffee shop similar to the café back in New York and she could help keep an eye on the kids so you wouldn't be running back and forth to check on them while tending to the customers," Haley answered. "That would be great! We can always use the help around here. It always gets really busy around here since we're so popular." "That's because Karen's has the best food in town," Haley smiled up at her. "I'm not one to toot my own horn, but darn right we do," Karen replied and the women laughed. They talked for hours, laughing and reminiscing on times they'd shared and telling stories from when they were in New York. Even Katie and Derek piped in once in a while. Haley had been quiet for awhile, the sadness settling inside her again as she thought of all the times she, Lucas, and Karen would have dinner together in the café and talk about what had been going on in their lives. "I'll be right back," she abruptly pushed her chair back and quickly strode to the bathroom. She rushed to a stall and grabbed some toilet paper, wiping her eyes as she sat down on the toilet and cried.


	6. Chapter 6 I Can't Do This Anymore

**Author's Note: **Hey guys! I'm just whipping out chapters everywhere aren't I? Like five updates in two days for my stories! So, I was still coming up with a blank on what to write next for ITPOAA and I know all you guys were waiting for Lucas to show up in this story so in my state of boredness and being the only one awake at 10:15 AM in my house, I decided to write this. This chapter is full of Lucas, it's all about The Lucas! No, it sounds so much better when it's said it's all about The Chad! LOL Anyways, this chapter is basically about where he is right now and what he's been doing. The next chapter Lucas will be back in Tree Hill. Get ready for the drama to begin! LOL Anyways, I hope you like the chapter! As always, please read and review!

**Disclaimer: ** I own nothing. One Tree Hill and its characters are property of the WB.

**Rating: **K+ to T

**Finding Our Way Back **

**Chapter 6 – I Can't Do This Anymore**

Lucas Scott sat on the couch in the living room of his Los Angeles apartment as he unpacked a box. He'd lived in his apartment for eight months, nearly a year, and he still hadn't unpacked all the boxes from when he'd moved from Charleston. He'd finished high school there and after he graduated, he was immediately drafted into the NBA for the Los Angeles Lakers. He'd been playing for them for five years and he'd only recently moved into a more upscale neighborhood. He was boring like that. He would rather sit at home alone, unpacking boxes, than going out partying or hitting the celebrity scene. He wasn't like that. There was still a part of him that was the teenager he used to be, wanting rather to stay home with a good book than going out.

He dug through the box, realizing that this one was from when he lived back in Tree Hill. He pulled out one of his old hoodies, the one that said Keith Scott's Body Shop. The one that Haley loved to wear. Lucas winced. He would be lying if he said he didn't think about her sometimes. Okay, he thought about her every day. He missed her so much, he missed his best friend.

Lucas pulled a picture frame out of the box and stared at it, tears welling behind his eyes. It was a picture of the two of them, hugging each other tightly, her arms wrapped around his torso and his around her shoulders. Both were smiling. He closed his eyes and sighed as he leaned back into the couch and pressed the frame to his chest. He remembered their last night together clear as day, but he was disappointed the next morning when he found Haley gone from his bed, a small note scrawled in her handwriting left on his pillow. He knew she felt ashamed and guilty for what she had done. She had been with Nathan then and they had gotten caught up in the heat of the moment.

That night was like dream come true. He'd waited for so long to be with Haley and for just a little while, he was. He only wished she would have stayed. Lucas knew she needed space after what had happened between them because she was feeling guilty for cheating on Nathan. So he had gone along with his plans and moved to Charleston with his Uncle Keith. After a while, he had tried to call her, but he just couldn't get the courage or will power to do it. He thought she still might need some time or feared what she would say to him. Did she regret that night? What would he say to her? He wanted to tell her how he felt, about her and about that night, but he feared she would reject him, ruining their friendship. But, in fact, it already had been ruined. He hadn't seen or talked to Haley in five years, since he moved to Charleston. He wondered where she was and what she was doing. Was she married? Did she have kids? Was she happy?

He began to look back on his own life in the past five years. He had everything a guy could want. He had the life of a celebrity and was doing what he loved, playing basketball. He had a nice place, a girlfriend…except he didn't have her. He had everything but Haley. Lucas stared at the picture again as a few tears fell down his cheeks. He only cried for her. She was the only one he showed real emotion for. He'd become numb to everybody else, even his own girlfriend, which was very unlike himself, or at least the person he used to be. Celebrity life had tainted him. You'd think it wouldn't have changed him, but it did. It was like a drug, it keeps on pulling you in until you're addicted. The fans worshiped you, the cheerleaders flirted with and fawned over you. However, he had always felt out of place, feeling like he shouldn't be there. The whole celebrity scene was becoming so overwhelming. He hated all the paparazzi and reporters following after him. He longed for the quiet life again. The only place he felt right was on the court. That was his safe haven. He could shed all his worries and thoughts at the door and when he stepped onto that court, he was all business, focused on the game.

He sighed as he gazed at the picture again, wiping a few tears from his eyes. The only other place he'd felt safe was with her. He wished he could talk to her. What was he supposed to say after five years of not even saying a word to each other?

Lucas was interrupted from his thoughts by the doorbell. He groaned and stood from the couch, walking to the door and opening it. "Hey Tiff," he greeted his girlfriend Tiffany with a forced smile. "Hey, um…can I come in," she asked softly. Lucas became a little concerned. This was so unlike her. She was always perky and happy not shy and reserved like she was acting now. "What's wrong," he asked as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "I um…I think I'm pregnant…" she began to cry as she covered her face with her hands. Lucas' mind reeled and he took a step back to keep his balance. He was having a major déjà vu flashback here. This resembled the time when Brooke thought she was pregnant. Thank god it had been a false alarm.

"Are-Are you sure," he asked shakily. He wasn't sure if he was ready for fatherhood. He hadn't been ready at seventeen and that was only six short years ago. She shook her head, "N-No." He took a deep breath to try and calm the panic rising within him, "Okay. We'll go to the hospital and get a test done. Those are more accurate than the home kits. Everything will be alright, okay," he tried to convince more himself than her. He knew everything wasn't right. His life would change drastically if she was pregnant. He never wanted to be like Dan; he knew he wouldn't abandon his child. But the hard part was, he didn't really love Tiffany. Lucas knew he was awful for doing that to her, leading her on, but she was fun and that had good times together. What would his life be like if he had to be with someone he didn't love, forever?

"O-Okay," she replied. So they went to the hospital and he nervously sat in the waiting room while Tiffany had the test done. He pressed his palms together and brought them to his mouth as if in prayer, bouncing his legs anxiously. _'Please don't let her be pregnant,' _he wished over and over again. Half an hour later, Tiffany came out of the exam room. Lucas rose from his seat, fearing her news by the expression on her face. It was the same as the one she had when he'd greeted her at his door. "I'm not pregnant," she said softly. Lucas nodded and gave her a hug. He led her to his car and they rode in silence the whole way back to his apartment.

When he entered, he immediately sank down into the couch and rubbed his face, stressed out from the last couple of hours. He felt something brush his hand as he set it down on the cushion and looked down. It was the picture of him and Haley staring back at him. He picked it up and a small piece of paper fell out the back of the frame. He picked it up and read it.

_Lucas,_

_I hope with all my heart that you find the answers you're searching for, but just remember that there is only one Tree Hill and it is your home. I'll miss you. Goodbye Luke._

_Haley_

It was the note from Haley she'd left him after their night together. All while this was happening, Tiffany stood awkwardly near the door, not sure what to do or say.

He read the note over and over again. He suddenly stood and said, "I need to go home." Tiffany looked at him confusedly, "Luke, you are home." "No, I need to go home, to Tree Hill," he responded as he still stared at the note in his hand then looked up at her, "I'm sorry, I can't do this anymore. I have to go back." "Y-You're breaking up with me," she asked as tears came to her eyes. Lucas nodded as he neared her, running his hand down her arm, "I'm sorry. I really care about you, but Tree Hill is my home. It's where I belong." "But what about basketball," she inquired. "I'll still play, but not in the NBA. I'm done with that. I'll regret it the rest of my life if I don't go back," he replied. She nodded slowly then turned to the door. As she exited, she turned to him with a sad smile on her face, "Good luck with her, Luke."


	7. Chapter 7 His Return

**Author's Note:** Hey guys! Two updates in one day! I'm on a roll! Well, this is it guys! Lucas and Haley finally see each other after five years! I hope you guys like it! I might update again tomorrow, depending on my family because it's Memorial Day and they might have plans for me other than lying in bed all day and typing up my stories. Anyways, I hope you all like it! As always, please read and review!

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. One Tree Hill and its characters are property of the WB.

**Rating:** K+ to T

P.S. - Whitey does not know that Haley has kids, yet.

**Finding Our Way Back**

**Chapter 7 – His Return**

Lucas stared at the building in front of him, the many memories of four years spent there overtaking his mind. He knew he should go to see his mom first, but he wanted to spend a few quiet minutes alone, walking around the town. He hadn't been back in five years, not even for a visit. He was always too busy to come back down and part of him feared seeing Haley there. He wouldn't know how to act around her after what had happened between them. He was always traveling and playing games during the basketball season and during the off season, there were still practices to keep in shape, team meetings, and workouts in the weight room. They were good excuses not to visit, right?

He slowly entered his old high school and smiled at the peacefulness that washed over him. It felt good being back here. School had already been dismissed for the day so the halls were quiet and empty. He strolled along the corridors, looking at all the posters and billboards and everything around him. It hadn't changed much. He decided to go to the gym and on his way there, he came across the trophy case. He stared at all the trophies, awards, team pictures, and old jerseys… his gaze stopped on his old jersey and the picture beside it. He caressed her face with his finger through the glass and traced her lips, wishing he could kiss them again. After several more moments of staring at the picture, he turned and headed towards the gym.

He stepped inside the gym. It was like a holy place for him, the sun shining through the windows onto the court and baskets, the empty bleachers, the familiar smell. He spotted someone standing center court and his smiled widened. He chuckled as he walked forward behind them, "Gee, fancy seeing you here. You mean you're not dead yet?" The old man turned around and his face brightened at seeing one of his most cherished players. "You better watch it son, I can still put you over my knee. Lucas Scott, what are you doing back here in my gym," he responded gruffly. Lucas hugged him, "It's good to see you Whitey." "You too son," Whitey replied, "now what brings you back to my little ole gym? Aren't you supposed to be playing with the big boys up in LA?" "I was, but I'm not anymore. I quit-" Lucas was interrupted by Whitey yelling at him. Whitey's face began to turn red, "You QUIT! Why in the hell did you quit? Playing in the NBA was your dream, you numbskull! How could you just quit? After all the training I did, the coaching, teaching you, you repay me by quitting?" Lucas put up his hands in defense, actually a little scared of him, "Whoa there, Cujo. Calm down. I wanted to leave the team two months ago, but the coach wanted me to finish out the season. I realized that playing in the NBA wasn't what I wanted anymore. I wasn't happy. I kept remembering all those days down at the rivercourt…it was just me and the guys, you know? I missed that. Plus, I don't like all the reporters and photographers following me all the time. They're such a nuisance. I mean, the fans and the popularity were great, but it wasn't what I wanted. I always wanted the quiet life, you know? That's why I moved back to Tree Hill. It's always been my home and always will be."

Whitey stared him down for a few minutes before he sighed resignedly. Then a thought came to mind. "You looking for a job," he asked interestedly. "Yeah, I was gonna go see if that Sports Authority on Main had any openings. Why? You know of a place I could work," Lucas inquired. "Yeah," Whitey answered. "Where," Lucas asked. "Right here," Whitey smiled. "Here," Lucas questioned in confusion. Whitey responded, "I'm retiring next month and I've been looking for a replacement coach. Who better to have than one of my best players and former NBA star of the Los Angeles Lakers? The kids will go wild." Lucas smiled, "Really? That's great! I mean, I'm sorry that you're retiring, you were such an amazing coach. But it's about time. Of course I'll take the position. It'd be my honor."

"You're welcome son, you deserve it," Whitey patted his shoulder. "Thanks Whitey," Lucas replied as he hugged the man, "can we talk more about this later? Because I've gotta go see a woman." He couldn't wait to tell his mom the great news. "I reckon you're off to see the little lady, huh," Whitey replied with a wink and a grin. "Yeah, I haven't even told my mom that I've moved back down here. I was just about to go see her, now I'll have more great news to tell her," the young man replied. "No, I'm talking about little Miss Haley James. You haven't seen her around," he questioned. "Haley's here," Lucas asked, his eyes bulging slightly. A couple months after he'd moved to Charleston, he'd heard from his mom that Haley had left town. He was beginning to think that moving back wasn't such a good idea. He wasn't sure he was ready to face her yet. "Yep, moved here about four or five months back. Lives on Oak Avenue about five houses down. She's teaching English and History here at the school." His heart jumped in his throat. He'd be seeing her every day? Lucas gulped. _'Oh god, what have I gotten myself into,'_ he thought.

"Well, I have to go watch some basketball tapes for a game coming up. You should come to our practice day after tomorrow. You can meet the team and see everyone play," Whitey suggested. "Yeah, thanks Whitey. I'll do that," Lucas replied, still a little dazed from the shock of the news he'd just been given.

Lucas slowly walked down Oak Avenue, counting the houses as they went by. He reached the fifth house. The only question was, what side was it on, the right or the left? He chose the left. He cautiously made his way up the steps slowly, giving himself time for an escape if he decided he wasn't ready to see her and needed to bail out. But he didn't stop. He reached the front door and tentatively knocked on the door, taking a deep breath, preparing himself for seeing and talking to her after five years of absence and silence between the two.

A few moments later, a little boy answered the door, "Hello?" Lucas' heart jumped in his throat. She had a kid. She was probably married and happy. Then he thought for a minute. Maybe she didn't live here, maybe this was the wrong house. "Hi, uh, I-I was looking for Haley James…Is-Is she here," Lucas stumbled over his words in nervousness. "Yup," the boy replied then called back into the house, "Mommy! Someone's at the door for you!" "Honey, it's probably Ky. Just let Ky in-" Haley stopped short when she saw Lucas at her front door and she inhaled a sharp gasp, paling at the sight of him. _'This cannot be happening,'_ she thought, panic rising within her. "Uh, D, go wake your sister up and tell her it's lunch time. Your food is at the table. You guys go eat while I talk to, uh, this person," she replied still in shock.

Once Derek left the room, Haley said shakily, "H-Hi." "Hey," he said softly, his voice too choked up to manage anything more than a whisper. An uncomfortable silence fell over them. After a few moments, Haley's forehead scrunched into wrinkles as she look up at him, "I, um, what are you doing here?" She folded her arms over her chest, trying not to have a mental breakdown right then and there in front of him. Did he know about Katie and Derek? Was that why he was there? How did he find out? "I-I wanted to see you. I missed you. I missed my best friend," he said with a lost look in his eyes, knowing full well he'd missed her as more than just a best friend as well. An angry expression came across her face, "You're telling me this now, when you haven't even seen or talked to me in five years? Why the hell now, Lucas?" She put a finger up to pause the conversation as she pushed him back a little and stepped out onto the porch, closing the door behind her.

"C-Can we talk," he asked pleadingly. "We're talking right now," she responded in a short, clipped tone. "No, I mean really talk. It's been a long time Hales…can we go take a walk, please," he asked, offering his hand out to her. "Lucas, I can't just leave my kids here-" Haley started. "Bring them with," he suggested. "No, um, just-just give me about ten minutes. I'll ask Ky to come over and watch them," she replied as she turned and opened the door, walking inside. He still stood on the porch, unsure if she wanted him to enter inside. "Um, Haley? May I come in," he called out because Haley had quickly disappeared the minute she reentered the house. "Um, sure, yeah. Take a seat on the couch. Let me make this phone call then we have to wait for Ky to come over to watch the kids," replied.

Haley raced to her bedroom and shut the door behind her, breathing heavily as she began to panic even more. She wasn't ready for this. But she had already agreed to go talk with him. She quickly dialed the number to Kyla's place as she tapped her foot anxiously, waiting for her to answer. "Pick up, pick up, pick up…dammit Kyla, pick up! I need you," she mumbled as she continued to wait. "Hello," Kyla asked. Haley sighed in relief at her voice. "Thank god! Kyla, he-he's here! And-and he wants to talk! I'm not ready to tell him yet! Ky, I need your help! I need you to come over to watch Katie and Derek. I'm not even sure if he knows about them. God Ky, I'm really freaking out here!" "Calm down Hales, take a deep breath," Kyla instructed as she inhaled with her, "Whether or not you tell him tonight, you two really need to talk. It's been five years Hales. Hear him out, okay? I'll be over in a few minutes."

While Haley was off making the phone call, Lucas looked around the large apartment. Some pictures caught his eye. He walked over and studied them. One was of Haley and a young woman about her age with blonde hair and green eyes. The young woman was standing behind Haley and had her arms wrapped around Haley's shoulders, their heads pressed cheek to cheek. Haley had one hand on the woman's arm and both had large smiles on their faces. Lucas wondered who this person was. The next was a picture of Haley with her kids, the little boy who'd greeted him at the door and a cute little girl that looked just like Haley. The third was a picture of her and his mom together. Karen's arm was wrapped around Haley's back and her free hand was placed on Haley's protruding stomach, who appeared to be about four or five months along then. She looked to be about nineteen or twenty in that picture. He had just moved on to another picture when Haley appeared from the hallway to answer the door.

"Hey! Thanks for coming over on such short notice. I know you were probably busy, but I don't think we'll be long," she looked to Lucas who nodded, then continued, "call if you need anything?" It was the woman from the picture. "Sure Hales, you go and have a good talk," she winked at Haley, but the brunette just shot a glare her way. "We'll be back soon," she replied then turned to Lucas as she grabbed a light jacket from the hall closet by the door, "Let's go."


	8. Chapter 8 The Talk

**Author's Note:** Hey guys! I'm BAAACK! LOL Alright, this is the chapter where Haley and Lucas talk. Not much else to say other than I might update again today, depending on my family. Well, I hope you like it! As always, please read and review!

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. One Tree Hill and its characters are property of the WB.

**Rating:** K+ to T

P.S. – Thanks SO much for nominating me Tay!

**Finding Our Way Back**

**Chapter 8 – The Talk**

"So, how have you been," Lucas began slowly, trying to find a neutral topic. "Fine," she replied, crossing her arms over her chest. "Your kids are beautiful, Haley, I saw them in one of your pictures," he replied. "Thank you," she replied sincerely. "So where is Nathan? How are you and him doing?" He watched Haley's face contort in anger. "How the hell should I know and why the hell should I care," she shouted as she glared at him, remembering that day at the rivercourt and what Nathan had said to her. Lucas flinched at her outrage. What he thought was going to be an okay conversation was turning out to be horribly wrong. Lucas stared at her in shock, "Y-You mean he left you? And the kids?" Haley sighed as she rubbed her forehead. This wasn't turning out the way she thought it would be. Lucas took this action as a sign of agreement.

"Oh Hales…I'm so sorry," he went to hug her, but she pushed him away and shook her head. "No," she replied. A hurt expression flashed across his face before he sighed and turned to look at her, "I'm sorry. I wish you would have told me. I would have been there for you and the kids." Haley thought as tears welled in her eyes, _'I wished you were there too.'_ Lucas saw the tears in her eyes and slowly raised his hand, gently wiping the tears from the corners. She looked at his hand then to his eyes, before pulling away, wrapping her arms around herself.

"He has Deb's hair," Lucas stated after a few minutes of awkward silence as they walked through town. She looked up at him, "What?" "Your son, he has Deb's blonde hair. And your daughter looks just like you Haley," he responded. Haley fought not to gawk and yell at him in amazement. How could he not see that Derek had Lucas' blonde hair, not Deb's? How could he not see that Derek looked almost exactly like him when he was little? She was brought out of her thoughts by Lucas' voice, "What are their names?" "Katie and Derek," she responded. Lucas nodded, "How old are they?" Haley began to panic again. If she told them their age, he would know. Should she lie and tell him they were a little younger or tell him the truth? She wasn't ready for him to find out yet although she was surprised he hadn't known the minute he saw Derek.

"They're five," Haley found herself saying. "Hmm, you must have gotten pregnant a couple months after I left," he mused after some thought. "Yeah," she lied, her tone soft. She wasn't really lying, she hadn't found out that she was in fact pregnant until three months after he'd left. "When did Nathan leave you," he asked solemnly, knowing it must hurt her to talk about him after what he had done to her. "We broke up the day I told him I was pregnant. He said he never wanted to see me again. I left town two weeks later," she responded as she stared down at the ground, kicking a small rock with her shoe.

"Come here," Lucas pleaded with her as he gestured her near. She hesitated a few seconds before taking a few steps forward, letting him wrap his arms around her. Haley was tense a few moments before she melted into him, burying her head in his chest as she cried, finally being in his arms after five years of separation. Lucas held her tighter to him as he began to stroke her hair and whispered in her ear, "I missed you so much…" "I missed you too," she managed to squeak out through her sniffles, "more than you'll ever know. It's been so hard without you these past five years…" "I'm here now. I'm not going anywhere," he rubbed her back in circles to try and calm her.

"How long are you back in Tree Hill for," she asked when she'd finally stopped crying. "Indefinitely," he smiled. She pulled back from his embrace, her eyes wide, "What? What about the Lakers and the NBA?" "I'm done with all that. I wasn't happy. I mean, I love playing basketball, but the big leagues and celebrity life isn't for me. I just want to play ball again, be carefree and just play for the love of the game, like back when I played at the rivercourt, you know?" "Yeah sorry, after you left Dan plowed the rivercourt down and put up a new dealership," she replied with a straight face. Lucas' eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets, "HE WHAT!" Haley giggled lightly and it was then he knew she was joking. "Don't do that to me. You nearly gave me a heart attack," he responded as he placed a hand to his chest.

"So, what are you going to do? Where are you going to work," Haley asked. "I visited the high school and saw Whitey there. He offered me the coaching job and I took it. It's gonna be so great teaching those kids," he smiled as he imagined having such a major influence on them like Whitey had. "Oh that old kook. He was the one who told you I was here, wasn't he? Or was it your mom?" "No, I haven't gone to see my mom yet. I just wanted to walk around Tree Hill for awhile then I ended up at the high school in the gym and found him there. Once he told me you were here, I came to find you." Haley smiled up at him, "I really missed you Luke. I'm glad you're back." "Me too Hales," he replied as he draped an arm over her shoulders and they walked along the sidewalk.

**Author's Note:** I know you guys probably think that Haley and Lucas' hug and everything was moving kind of fast, and I originally hadn't planned it to be that fast, but I let my hands do the typing and that's what they came up with so I stuck with it. The next couple chapters will be Lucas and Haley building their friendship back up. I also know that you guys probably think it's awful of Haley for leading Lucas on, letting him believe Nathan is their father, but don't worry, he'll find out, eventually. LOL Hopefully I'll see you guys again today! Or read you guys later LOL.


	9. Chapter 9 Getting Back To What We Were

**Author's Note:** Hey guys! I'm back again! Aren't you guys ready to get rid of me yet since I keep bugging you with updates:) Well, here's the next chapter! I know the chapters have been short, but this is the way I have decided to write this story. It allows me to update faster, as you have seen the past couple days, but that's also due to the three day weekend for Memorial Day. Let's just hope I can keep it up after I probably start working full time at my job for the summer until college starts! I might update again tonight or early tomorrow morning before I go to work so keep a look out for it! Anyways, I hope you like it! As always, please read and review!

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. One Tree Hill and its characters are property of the WB.

**Rating:** K+ to T

**Finding Our Way Back**

**Chapter 9 – Getting Back To What We Were**

It was another couple of days until Lucas and Haley saw each other again. Haley was busy teaching and taking care of the kids while Lucas was busy with Whitey and the team.

Lucas knocked on her door and a few minutes later, the door opened with Haley behind it. She smiled at him but inwardly flinched, imagining one day he would come knocking at her door and he would know about the kids. It frightened her of what he might say or do once he found out. "Hey Luke," she replied. "Can Haley come out to play," Lucas asked in a childish voice. Haley laughed, "Yeah sure, the kids are with Ky for the afternoon. I'm sure she's spoiling them rotten, or corrupting their minds, or both." "She sure has a lot of time on her hands. What does she do," Lucas asked. "She's a writer but she works at the café a couple days a week to pay the rest of her bills and for some spending money since she can't totally live off of what the publisher pays her," Haley responded as she grabbed her jacket and they headed out. "So, where are you taking me," she asked as they strolled walk along the streets of Tree Hill. "You'll see," he grinned.

"Lucas Scott, I am not going to play basketball with you," she remarked when she saw he had led her to the rivercourt. "Aw, come on Hales. For old times sake," he pouted as he squeezed the basketball between his hands. "No, I'm totally out of shape and out of practice. I haven't played in five years. You, however, played just two months ago. You have an unfair advantage, because even though you've played more recently, I still suck like I used to," she crossed her arms as she too formed a pout. "Fine," he shrugged as he dropped the ball then grinned at her mischievously. Haley looked at him cautiously, wondering what he was going to do, because that look and that smile together were never a good thing. Then he started to run towards her, his hands outstretched, "I guess I'll just have to tickle you then!" "No, Luke!" Haley shrieked as she began to run away from him. They chased each other around for a few minutes until Lucas was hot on her heels. He reached to grab her but she quickly dodged it and started to run faster. She was beginning to get tired and her legs were hurting. She hadn't exercised or ran this much since gym class in high school.

He caught up to her once more and he wrapped his arms around her after drawing on a burst of speed. Unfortunately, the force with which Lucas grabbed her caused them to fall to the ground, Haley lying under him and Lucas on top. Haley coughed, trying to catch her breath, and when she did, she said, "Geez Luke, this isn't tackle football." "Sorry," he replied as he brushed some hair from her face then began to rub the back of her head. He thought he saw her hit her head when she fell. "Are you okay," he asked softly, a concerned and worried expression on his face. Their eyes met and they stared at each other for several minutes, getting lost in the moment and not noticing the minutes tick by. Lucas was about to lean in to kiss her, but she coughed and said, "Lucas, can you please get off me? You're taking my breath away here." Lucas closed his eyes and inwardly sighed as he reluctantly got up off of her and offered out his hand to help her up. _'You take my breath away too, but in a whole different way,'_ he thought to himself.

"Are you sure you're okay," he inquired as they brushed the grass off themselves. "Yeah, I'm fine," she replied. "Come on, let's go get some lunch," he responded as he placed his hand on the small of her back and led her down the street. She flinched a little at his touch and moved forward a bit. Lucas dropped his hand in disappointment and followed after her. "Where are we going to eat," she asked a few minutes later. "The docks," he replied. "Yay," she responded happily, "I love that place!" Or at least she was trying to act happy. Haley was still thrown from their 'moment' back at the rivercourt. She wanted to kiss him, but she knew he didn't feel that way about her. But in that moment, the way he stared at her, made her think that he'd wanted to kiss her too. Even though she wanted to kiss him, she wasn't ready to be that close to him yet. They had just started trying to mend their broken friendship and without that foundation repaired, they couldn't pursue a relationship, even if Lucas did feel the same about her as she did him.

"I know," Lucas responded as they continued on their walk. He looked up from staring at the ground and his eyes landed on the old oak tree. "It's still here," he whispered. Haley stopped ahead of him and turned, "What?" "The oak tree, it's still here," he repeated again as he stared at it then began to walk towards it. She followed him to the spot, standing beside him as he ran his hand over the engraving. Still touching the words as he stared at them, reading them over and over, he lightly slipped his free hand into her own and gently squeezed it.


	10. Chapter 10 Meetings and Mondays

**Author's Note:** Three updates in one day! I'M ON FIRE! Not literally, thankfully. Here's the next chapter to Finding Our Way Back! I know you guys are very anxious about Lucas finding out about Katie and Derek and I swear it's coming up. In the next three or four chapters I think. And with the way, I'm updating, you know you won't have long to wait! I hope you guys like it! As always, please read and review!

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. One Tree Hill and its characters are property of the WB.

**Rating:** K+ to T

**Finding Our Way Back**

**Chapter 10 – Meetings and Mondays**

Lucas poked his head in from the door to her classroom, "Hey, you ready?" It was by pure luck or chance that she and Lucas had the same lunch hour. Or there was some higher power trying to tell her something. "Yeah, just let me grab my bag-" she started to say but Lucas cut her off. "Lunch is already taken care of," he smiled as he lifted a bag from Subway. "Aww, that's so sweet of you Luke. I've been getting kind of tired of eating peanut butter and jelly all the time. The kids are going through this peanut butter phase and that's all they'll eat; on crackers, peanut butter and banana sandwiches, on celery. At least I'm getting some vegetables in them," she responded as she unlocked a drawer to her desk and pulled out her purse. Lucas chuckled, "I remember that phase. We both went through it. You always loved those peanut butter and banana sandwiches." Haley's eyes widened as she pretended to look through her purse for something. How could he not realize the similarities between the kids and themselves? It was almost so blatantly obvious. Was he that blind and dense to not notice it?

"Yeah, still do," she replied and then pulled out her wallet, "ah ha! Found it!" Lucas laughed and shook his head, "What have you got in there that takes five minutes to find your wallet?" "A whole bunch of stuff. Ladies products mostly," she grinned with a smirk on her face, knowing what it would do to him. Lucas' face scrunched in disgust, "Eww! Over-share!" "Not those kinds of products Luke," she smiled, "it's not my time of the month yet." "Well let me know when it is so I can stay far, far away. You can get kind of bitchy when you're hormonal. Wait, don't tell me. I don't want to know when it's your time of the month. Gah!" He plugged his ears with his fingers and shook his head from side to side, trying to rid his mind of the words.

Haley laughed then walked over and linked her arm through his, "Come on Luke, let's go eat lunch. I still have some papers to grade before my last class." They sat on the couch in the teachers lounge as Haley ate her Classic Turkey and Lucas ate his Meatball sub. They were having light conversation about Haley's classes and the basketball team when they were interrupted by a person appearing before them. "Well if it ain't the two little lovebirds. You two are lookin' pretty cozy," Whitey said in a southern drawl as he smiled and winked at them. Ever since Lucas and Haley had started hanging out more, he always saw them together and always made some remark about them being together. This had even happened back when they were in high school. "Well if it ain't the old man. You're lookin' pretty… old," Haley shot back in the same tone as she smiled. He pointed his finger at her as he turned to Lucas, "You better watch her son, she's a quick one on her wit." "Don't I know it," he replied as he grinned at Haley, "but I can hold my own. I've even beat her a few times." "Have not," she responded with a light slap to his shoulder with the back of her hand. "Have too," he replied. "Have not," she said childishly. "Have too," he repeated in the same tone as Haley. "Oh, we're going to fix this," she replied with a smile.

Three days later on Monday, Haley went to drop her kids off at Kyla's apartment. "Hey Ky," Haley greeted her when the blonde opened the door. Kyla pressed a hand to her forehead as she leaned her head back. "Dam-" she started, but then she noticed the kids, "Darn it! I forgot to call you!" "Why," Haley asked, "what's wrong?" "I can't take the kids for the next few days, Hales. The publisher called me in to New York for some meetings. I'll be gone from tomorrow until Friday. I'm so sorry Hales. I know this is such short notice, but I've been going crazy, busy packing and stuff and on the phone with the airlines and everything. They'll have to stay with Karen while I'm gone. I'm so sorry, Hales," she said with a sorrowful look in her eyes. "No, it's okay, I understand. You gotta do what you've gotta do. Just don't have too much fun doing it," she smirked. "God, will I ever," Kyla replied sarcastically in a dramatic tone with a roll of her eyes, "I hate those meetings with the publisher. They are SO boring!" "Yeah, I remember the ones I used to have with my publicist. They went on and on forever. I felt like I would never get out of there," Haley replied. "Thanks for the support Hales," Kyla responded dryly. "No problem Ky. That's me, the queen of quick wit and dry humor," Haley laughed. "Alright, I still have to finish packing. I'll come see you tonight before I leave," Kyla hugged her. "Have a safe trip," Haley replied as she hugged her friend back.

After she left Kyla's she headed over to the café to drop the kids off with Karen. She entered and walked over to the counter, waiting for Karen to appear from the kitchen. One of the waitresses named Delaney, came out and greeted her, "Hi Haley." "Hey Delaney, can you get Karen for me please?" "Sorry, Karen and Deb are up in Charleston in a meeting with some people from the Small Business League for two days. She didn't tell you," the woman replied. "No, she didn't," Haley sighed as she rubbed her forehead, feeling a headache coming on. She should have known when she saw Delaney. The woman mostly worked nights, but worked days when Karen or Deb were gone, being the assistant manager because she had been there the longest. "Thanks Delaney," Haley replied as she turned and waved to her, "I'll see you later." Haley sighed again as she stepped out of the café. Her resources were running slim. Lucas couldn't watch them because he was at the school and she wasn't ready to leave Katie and Derek with him yet. Then a thought came to mind. Whitey. He had finally retired last week and the teachers had had a party for him and presented him with a plaque of monumental achievement. She hated having to do this, but there was no one else to watch Katie and Derek. So she headed over to Whitey's house.

She tentatively knocked on his door and a few minutes later, he answered the door. "Haley, what are you doing here? And who are these two," he asked confusedly. "These are my kids, Derek and Katie. I'm sorry to be imposing in on your retirement, but could you watch them for me over the next couple days while I'm at the school? Usually my friend Kyla or Karen and Deb watch them, but Kyla's heading up to New York and Karen and Deb are in Charleston with the Small Business League. They're usually at kindergarten, but today they have the day off and I-I have no one to watch them," Haley pleaded to him. Whitey smiled, "No problem. It'd be my pleasure. It can get kind of lonely around here sometimes." "Thank you so much Whitey. You are such a lifesaver," Haley responded then crouched down to face her kids, "You guys be good for Whitey, okay? I'll come pick you up after Mommy gets home from work. Bye guys." She hugged them and they hugged her back, responded in unison, "Bye Mommy. We love you." Haley just shook her head and smiled.

Whitey stared down at Derek and a surprised expression appeared on his face. He quickly looked up at Haley, who met his eyes, noticing him studying her son. Whitey looked at Derek one more time before returning his gaze to the young woman. "He looks awfully familiar, don't you think," he replied with a wink, a knowing smile on his face.

Haley rushed to the school and got there just by the time she was supposed to be there. She grabbed a coffee from the teachers lounge then walked to her classroom, sighing in relief as she sat down in her desk chair. It had been one crazy morning. Then Lucas walked inside not three minutes later. "Hey, you ready for the staff meeting?" She looked at him quizzically, "Staff meeting? What staff meeting?" He looked at his watch, "Uh, the one we're supposed to have in about five minutes. You okay there, Hales? You look a little flustered." Haley leaned over and pressed her forehead to the surface of her desk. What was with all the meetings? Maybe it was just Mondays.


	11. Chapter 11 Like Father, Like Son

**Author's Note:** Tired of me yet? This is the fourth update today! This chapter is pretty much some 'family bonding' time. I think the next chapter will have the 'BIG MOMENT' where Lucas finally finds out that Katie and Derek are his. I think I'll start writing it right now… I'll probably have it up for you all tomorrow. I hope you like this chapter! As always, please read and review!

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. One Tree Hill and it's characters are property of the WB.

**Rating:** K+ to T

**Finding Our Way Back**

**Chapter 11 – Like Father, Like Son**

Friday afternoon, Lucas walked up to Haley's apartment, intent on taking her out. Not on a date, but just out with the kids. He'd hardly seen them since he met them and he wanted to spend some time getting to know Katie and Derek. They were his niece and nephew after all.

When she answered the door, he stepped inside, stating firmly in a tone that said he wasn't taking no for an answer, "Get the kids. We're going out." "But-" Haley began to protest. "No Haley, I want to get to know my niece and nephew. How can I do that if you don't let me spend time with them?" "I-" she tried to begin again but Lucas gazed at her with pleading puppy dog eyes, "Please Haley?" "Yeah, please Mommy, please," Derek asked as he and Katie raced up behind her. "I-" she started then sighed in defeat as she stared into her children's hopeful eyes, "Okay. Let's go get your shoes on." "Yay," Katie and Derek exclaimed as they ran to go get their shoes.

Haley helped Derek tie his shoes while Lucas buckled on Katie's pink jelly sandals and then Haley grabbed their jackets and they walked outside. "So, what do you guys want to do," Lucas asked the two kids. "I wanna go play basketball," Derek said excitedly as he jumped up and down. "Yeah, me too," Katie responded then took Haley's hand, "You play too, Mommy?" "Oh, I don't know…" "Come on Hales, girls against guys. You and Katie against me and Derek. What do ya say?" "Fine," she replied with a smile, knowing she wouldn't be getting anywhere if she said no. "I know just the place," Lucas said as he shared a smile with Haley.

"Derek goes in for the final shot and… he gets it in! Yeah! Derek wins the game!" Lucas shouted as he lifted the little boy up and let him dunk it into the basket. When Lucas put him down he raced over to Haley, "I won, Mommy! I won! And I got to do a slam dunk!" "That's great D, I'm so proud of you," she said as she hugged him. "I didn't get to do a slam dunk," Katie pouted as she looked down at the ground and moved the toe of her shoe from side to side. "Come here Katie, I'll let you do a slam dunk. Mommy's too short to do it," he gestured for the little girl to come near, smirking at Haley as he leaned down to pick her up. Haley stuck out her tongue at him. She was becoming so childish. Being around Luke made her feel that way, like a kid again. Just talking and joking around and hanging out made her feel like she was back in her teen years when it was just the two of them.

He held Katie up while she performed the move and then she giggled excitedly, "I did it! I did it!" Haley took Katie from Lucas and she kissed her daughter's nose, causing her to giggle more. "Yes you did. I am so proud of you too. I love you both very much." "Luke, can you do a slam dunk," Derek asked, looking up at the tall man and when Lucas nodded, he started jumping up and down, "Show me! Show me!" Lucas went to grab the ball then dribbled it a few seconds. Then he raced from center court up to the net, launching himself into the air and dunking the ball, hanging onto the metal rim for a brief second or two before letting go and falling to his feet. Derek stood there, gawking in wide-eyed amazement for a several moments before he came out of his trance, shouting, "That was AWESOME!" Haley set Katie down because she wanted to go congratulate Luke and she crossed her arms as she watched Lucas and Derek talk animatedly about the move. "Like father, like son," she mumbled under her breath.

"Hey guys, what are you up to," Karen asked, wiping the counter, when she saw the four enter the café. "We went to play basketball," Derek replied happily. Katie walked over to Karen and tugged on her pants, "Where's Grandma Deb? Is she cooking in the oven?" The three adults burst out laughing. "What was that about," Haley asked when she was finally able to control her laughter. "Oh, the other day I said something about the kitchen being as hot as an oven," Karen replied, "that was priceless." "Grandma Karen, can I have some coffee with cocoa in it," Derek asked. Haley had explained that Karen had helped her through most of her pregnancy, even though she hadn't been there physically most of the time and that the kids had spent a lot of time with Karen and they considered her a grandma so they called her grandma. "No D," Haley stated firmly. "What about ice cream, Mommy," he inquired. "I think we can do that," Haley nodded. "Yeah! I want Mint Chocolate Chip," he replied. "What do you say," Haley inquired. "Please," Derek looked up at Karen. "What do you want Katie," Karen asked. "Rocky road please," she said politely. Karen looked to Haley and Lucas, "What about you guys?" "Chocolate," Haley responded. "Mint Chocolate Chip," Lucas replied. Derek looked up at Luke, "You like Mint Chocolate Chip? That's my favorite!" "Mine too," Luke answered.

Once they got their ice cream, Haley, Lucas and the kids strolled along the sidewalk by the storefronts, licking their cones. Derek was positioned on Lucas' shoulders and Katie rested comfortably on Haley's hip. After about five minutes, he felt something cold on his chest and looked down. There was ice cream on his shirt. Haley began to laugh at this. He knew it hadn't come from his cone because he'd already eaten it. He felt another cold, sticky wetness in his hair. He looked up to Derek and a small glob of ice cream fell on his face, on the bridge of his nose, sliding down his cheek. Haley burst into hysterical laughter, unable to control it any longer. Haley set Katie down then took Derek off of Lucas' shoulders, "Let's get you home and cleaned up."

When they reached Haley's apartment, Lucas looked at his watch, "Shoot! I have to be at Whitey's in half an hour. I don't have time to go home and take a shower. I have some extra clothes in the car. Is it okay if I use yours? I promise I won't be long," Lucas asked. "Uh, sure," Haley replied. "Great, thanks. I'll go grab my clothes. I'll be back in a minute," he replied as he walked across the yard to his car.

Ten minutes later, Lucas was in the shower while Haley sat nervously on her bed in her room as she focused her eyes on the door connecting to her bedroom. She couldn't help but imagine staring at his toned muscles and lean body, water cascading down his skin… It took almost all her restraint and will power not to open that bathroom door. It was almost too much to bear, knowing that Lucas was naked, in her bathroom, just a door away…


	12. Chapter 12 Magazine Articles and Revela...

**Author's Note:** Hey guys! I'm back with another chapter! This has the 'BIG MOMENT'! I hope it's all you imagined it would be. I've already started on the next chapter so I might update later tonight after I get home from work. Anyways, I hope you guys like it! As always, please read and review!

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. One Tree Hill and its characters are property of the WB.

**Rating:** K+ to T

**Finding Our Way Back**

**Chapter 12 – Magazine Articles and Revelations**

It had been a month since Lucas had bonded with the kids and now they were all closer than ever. They were always hanging out after school or in the evenings if Lucas had practice with the team. They'd watch movies at Haley's apartment or go up to the roof of the café to play miniature golf. They had even taught Katie and Derek to play a little, only they used plastic putters. They were like a family, and Haley loved every minute of it. She loved being with Lucas and loved to watch him interact with her kids. _'Our kids,'_ she'd correct herself with a smile.

Haley knew she needed to tell him about Katie and Derek, about them being his kids, but she still wasn't ready yet. She wasn't ready to ruin all that she had built up with Lucas again.

It wasn't until ten o'clock on a Saturday morning that Haley finally woke up, an unusually late time for her. She was usually up by seven and the kids up by eight. Karen had noticed that Haley had looked tiredly lately and had taken the kids for the night so she could get some rest, which Haley was entirely grateful for. She yawned and stretched as she rose from the bed and headed to the bathroom to brush her teeth and her hair. She pulled it back into a loose bun and threw on a pair of dark blue track pants as well as a baby blue tank top. She didn't really feel like getting dressed today. She just wanted to lie in bed all day and sleep; and think about Lucas. Maybe she was coming down with a bug. It was nearing winter and soon the flu season would be in full swing. She pulled on a pair of tennis shoes and a light sweater then grabbed her purse and keys, heading out the door to the café so she could pick up her kids.

Haley sleepily slid onto a stool, resting her chin in her hand, closing her eyes. "Gee, it looks like you got a real good night's sleep last night," Karen said sarcastically when she saw Haley. "Mmm," Haley grunted in response with her eyes still closed. "How about some coffee to perk you up," she questioned. "Yeah, the usual," Haley mumbled.

"Mommy!" Katie and Derek shouted in unison when they saw her, appearing from the back. Karen had an empty storage room in the back and she'd converted it into a small bedroom/playroom for when the kids needed to take a nap or could play with their toys in there while she tended to the customers. "Hey guys," Haley replied sleepily as she leaned over and hugged them both. "Mommy, you look really tired," Derek stated. "Yeah, Mommy doesn't feel too well. Why don't you guys go play and I'll call you when it's time to go, okay?" They nodded and hugged her again before retreating back to their room.

"Here you go," Karen replied as she handed her the cup of coffee. "Thanks," Haley replied as she took a sip. She took a few more before she started to feel sick. She quickly rushed to the bathroom and threw up in the toilet. After a few minutes, she finally rose from the floor and cleaned herself up before returning to her seat. The coffee cup was gone. Karen walked over and placed her hand over Haley's, looking at her concernedly. "Haley, are you pregnant again," she asked. Haley quickly looked up at her, wide-eyed, "What? No! Lucas and I- We haven't- We aren't- We're just friends, that's all." "When are you going to tell him, Haley? He deserves to know," Karen said. Haley sighed, "I know. It's just that everything is going so great right now. I don't want to ruin it and lose what we have by telling him." "You need to tell him, Haley. He's going to find out eventually. Better sooner than later, right?" "I guess," Haley responded nervously.

"Do you want anything to eat," Karen inquired. "I don't know. I've hardly been able to keep anything down. Maybe some dry toast and scrambled eggs?" "Sure honey," Karen replied as she patted her arm. While Haley waited for her food, she thumbed through a few outdated magazines, but nothing interesting really caught her eye, or anything she didn't know about. She then spotted an issue of People Magazine under the counter when she went to pour herself a glass of water. Karen walked out with her food just as she picked it up. "Hey Karen? Is this the new issue? Can I borrow it while I eat? I haven't read up on all the celebrity gossip in a while." "Yeah, it's the new one. I haven't had the time to read it yet. Let me know if you read anything juicy," Karen smiled as she set Haley's plate on the counter at her spot.

She had just began eating some toast when Lucas plopped down beside her, "Hey Hales. You look tired." "Statement of the day," she remarked with a roll of her eyes, not looking up from the magazine. It was then she realized she was reading the back cover. She must be really out of it. She took a bite of her toast as she flipped the magazine over. She nearly choked on that toast when she saw the headline. It read: Haley James – Secret Mom?

Lucas patted her back as she coughed, gasping for breath. "You okay there, Hales," he asked concernedly. Haley drew in a deep ragged breath, "I-I'm fine." She kept repeating over and over in her mind, _'No, I'm not okay. I'm not okay.'_ She quickly folded the cover over to face the back so Lucas wouldn't see. Then she saw a picture. It was of herself and the kids, walking along Main Street in Tree Hill, no doubt headed to Karen's Café; then the page number, page 12. Anything above Page 20 in People Magazine was considered highly important. Shakily, Haley turned to Page 12. Her jaw dropped open when she saw the tag line and the picture. The picture was of Lucas with Derek on his shoulders and Haley holding Katie as they walked together, side by side. The tag line read: Haley James and Lucas Scott – A Secret Family?

"What are you reading," Lucas asked as he looked over her shoulder. Haley didn't shut the magazine fast enough and he gaped at the article as he snatched it away from her, "What the hell?" Haley grabbed it back from him and began reading the article.

_Former rising star actress, Haley James, who left the entertainment industry six months ago, was spotted in Tree Hill, North Carolina with star basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers, Lucas Scott, who left the Lakers just two months ago after the season was over. The couple was accompanied by two young children, twins, in fact. Now who is the father, you ask? That's what we'd like to know. Is Lucas Scott the father of Haley James' children? If not, then who is? We would also like to know what is going on between these two and what the status of their relationship is. Are they married? Engaged? Pregnant? So many questions!_

The article continued on, but Haley stopped reading, a disgusted expression on her face and panic settling inside her, spreading through her whole body. "Wow…" Lucas stated in shock after he finished reading the article. "Yeah," Haley replied, still dazed. "You should call your publicist and get this straightened out," he responded, "You need to tell them that Nathan is the father. You need to-" Haley cut him off, shouting, "No, I will not tell them!" "Hales, you've gotta clear this up or they'll keep hounding you until they get what they came for and that is the truth. Believe me, I've had enough experience with it." "I have too, Luke! But I'm not going to name Nathan as their father. He doesn't deserve to be their father," she yelled. _'Because he isn't,'_ she thought. "Hales, if you'll just listen-" "No Lucas! I'm not telling them Nathan is their father!" Haley pushed herself from the stool, racing to the back and picking up her kids, storming out of the café angrily, leaving Lucas sitting there, shocked by her outburst and wondering why she wouldn't tell the media that Nathan was Katie and Derek's father.

Karen, who heard the conversation, came over to him and gently placed her hand on his. She knew Haley would probably kill her for this, but it was finally time he knew. "They're your kids, Luke," she said softly. Lucas' head shot up, eyes wide, responding in a breathless whisper, "What?" "Katie and Derek are your children," she replied in the same voice. Lucas acquired an angry expression on his face as he jerked his hand away from hers and stood from the stool, "You knew about this? You knew they were mine and didn't tell me?" "Lucas, I- Haley made me promise not to tell-" Lucas cut her off, shouting, "How could you keep this from me?" He glared at her, his nostrils flaring and lips pinched tightly together in anger, then pointed a finger at her as if to say more, but he turned and raced out of the café.

He knocked on her door urgently for several minutes until Haley slowly opened the door and he saw that she'd been crying. "T-They're-They're mine," he asked shakily. Haley's jaw dropped open. Once she got over the shock of him knowing, her face became angry and she spoke to him in a short, clipped tone as she pointed behind her to the little boy playing in the living room, "Take a look at Derek, Lucas, a good look, and tell me he isn't your son! How could you not see it? I mean, are you that blind? He looks just like you when we were kids!" "How could you keep this from me? Something this big? How could you keep them from me? They're my kids! God Hales, you've had five years to tell me and never once did you call and tell me!" "What about me Lucas? When you moved to Charleston you never called me or wrote or emailed me…You-you just discarded me like a piece of trash! How do you think I felt?" "Why are you acting this way? I'm the victim here," Lucas yelled, throwing his arms out in frustration. "What about me, Lucas? I'm a victim too. You left me," Haley began to sob as she pounded on his chest, "You left me! You left me all alone to raise two kids by myself! How could you leave me, Lucas? I needed you! I loved you!"

Lucas wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight, "Haley, I didn't know. You never told me. If I had known… I would have rushed back here the minute you told me." "I'm sorry," she cried, "I didn't want to ruin your dreams… I knew you wanted to go to college and play in the NBA. I just couldn't do that to you…" He stroked the back of her head softly, "Shh, it's alright, I'm here now. That's all that matters…"

They stayed like that with Lucas' arms wrapped around her for several minutes until Lucas remembered something Haley had said during her tirade and he pulled away slightly, staring into her watery brown eyes. "Haley, you said you loved me…Did you mean as more than friends," he asked, his heart moving into his throat. Haley gave him a murderous glare as she pulled out of his embrace. "Of course I do! That night…" she looked up at him with tears in her eyes, "I gave you my whole heart a long time ago, Lucas, and that night I gave you the rest of me." "Haley, I-I don't know what to say…I thought that night…I thought that you thought you made a mistake and you said goodbye in that note…I thought it would be best if I left and didn't call you for awhile and then I just didn't…I didn't know you felt that way about me. God Hales, I'm sounding like an idiot here. I'm not making any sense…That night was the best night of my life. I'd loved you for so long but I never did anything because I didn't think you felt the same way about me and now… God, I still love you Hales, so much and now I love you even more…You're still the same caring, beautiful person I fell in love with all those years ago and now you're the mother of my children…"

He leaned in hungrily to capture her lips but she put her hands to his chest and pushed him slightly, "No." "Why," he asked concernedly, "you still love me, don't you?" "Yes, I still love you, but I want to take things slow. We have a lot of things to talk about and I haven't even told the kids yet…" Lucas' eyes widened in shock, "You mean you haven't told them? They don't even know who I am?" Haley shook her head as she stared down at her hands, beginning to cry again, "I'm sorry…" He grabbed her hand and started pulling her towards the living room where the kids were, stating firmly, "We're going to tell them. Right now. I want them to know who I am."

Derek was sitting on the floor playing a video game on the television and Katie was coloring at the coffee table. Lucas and Haley sat on the couch and she tried hard to find the right words to tell them. Her hands were shaking almost uncontrollably and she swiped at the tears falling down her cheeks. Derek, always in tune with her emotions, paused his game and turned to her, "Mommy, what's wrong?" Haley gestured them over to her, "D, come here. Katie, you too. I have to tell you guys something very important." "What is it Mommy," Katie asked. "Well, um, I'm not really sure how to say this, but, um, Lucas is…well, he's your father…" Derek looked up at her, no form of expression or emotion on his face and Haley wondered what he was thinking. "I know," the little boy replied with nonchalance then turned to Lucas, "Can I call you Daddy now?" Tears came to Lucas' eyes as he nodded slowly, a smile spreading across his lips. "D, how do you know? I never told you who your father was until now," Haley asked confusedly. "He looks like me and he has my name, Mommy. And you have pictures of him all over the place. And once, Grandma Karen showed me a picture book with you and him together and she said that you two loved each other very much and she said you were best friends when you were younger." "And I know he's my daddy because I was born the same day Derek was," Katie piped in.

Haley sat back on the couch, shocked and stunned at the events that had just unfolded. "Mommy, can I go back and play my game now," Derek asked. "Yeah, can I go color," Katie inquired. She nodded silently, still too dazed to respond. Lucas sat there, stunned as well, tears flowing down his cheeks.


	13. Chapter 13 Pictures and The Videotape

**Author's Note:** Hey guys! Here's your update for today! I just wanted to let you all know that I'm going to take a little break from this story. I've been going so fast with this story, updating it like crazy in the past week, that I haven't really taken the time to take a breather and regroup and redefine where I wanted this story to go. I mean, when I first started this story, I only had a beginning, end, and some in-between scenes thought out. I just wanted to stop and try to get back in focus of where I want it to go. Plus, I really have been neglecting ITPOAA, even though there are only about two faithful readers, Tay and Malin, I still want to write the story because I mostly have it all planned out, I just have to organize it a little bit. I also want to update The Sweetest Sin again too. So, if you don't see an update tomorrow, don't freak out okay? I'll be back, don't worry! Anyways, I hope you like this chapter! As always, please read and review!

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. One Tree Hill and its characters are property of the WB.

**Rating:** K+ to T

P.S. – I just wanted to thank you all again for the AMAZING reviews! Thank you guys SO much!

**Finding Our Way Back**

**Chapter 13 – Pictures and The Videotape**

Lucas and Haley still sat there on the couch several minutes later, long after Katie and Derek had retreated to their room to play with their toys. "I-I've missed so much of their lives…" he finally managed to choke out through his tears.

Haley slowly rose from the couch and went to her bedroom, pulling out the drawer to her nightstand and grabbing a large book. She returned to the couch and set it on their laps. Haley looked up at him and gave him a soft smile before opening the book, which was in fact a photo album.

The first picture was from Haley's first sonogram. She pointed to it and said, "I was four months pregnant when I had this ultrasound. There's Katie." "Where's Derek," he asked, trying to find the babies in the black and white picture. "The doctor didn't see him because he was hiding behind Katie," she responded then turned the page, which showed another sonogram. "I was at six months when I had this one," she stated, watching Lucas while he searched out the picture for the babies. "Again, where is Derek," he asked confusedly. "He's hiding again. He's always been shy, just like his father," she smiled up at him then looked back down to the picture, "I didn't find out I was having twins until I was in the delivery room giving birth to them." Lucas looked at her, shocked, "How is that possible? How did you not know earlier?" "I only had two ultrasounds and I went into labor early, obviously because I was pregnant with twins. I didn't show as much with the twins as other people do, so I kept thinking I was only having Katie." He nodded then turned a page. He was bombarded with twenty or so pictures of Haley, all in different stages of her pregnancy. "Sorry, Ky got a little camera happy while I was pregnant." Lucas shook his head, whispering softly as he stared at the pictures, running his fingers over her round stomach in them, "No, I'm glad she did."

They looked at the pictures of the kids as babies and growing up as Haley described them for the next two hours. Haley too had gotten camera happy after the kids were born, wanting to document almost every minute of their lives, just in case exactly this happened. And she was so glad she had.

"I wish I could have been there with you, the delivery room, watching our kids be born. I wish I could have been there through all of it; the pregnancy, the birth, watching them grow up…" he responded quietly as he looked at the last picture. It was a picture of the four of them that Karen had taken just recently. Haley looked up at him, tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry…" she whispered. "I'm here now. That's what matters most," he responded as he took her hand into his and gently squeezed it. "I-I have something for you…" she said slowly as she stood and tugged on his hand to stand as well. She led him down the hallway to her bedroom and while Lucas sat on the edge of her bed, Haley crouched down by her television to look for something.

She finally found what she was searching for and rose to her feet, a small smile on her face as she offered the videotape to him in her outstretched hand. "What's this," he asked as he took the tape from her, then he noticed the label on it. _'Katie and Derek's Birth,'_ it read. His mouth opened in shock, speechless, then looked up at her with tears of his own in his eyes. "You can watch it in here, the remote's by the TV," she replied quietly as she retreated from the room, softly shutting the door behind her as she leaned heavily against it.

Lucas sat still on the bed for a few minutes, still staring at the tape in his hands. He then slowly slipped it into the VCR and turned the TV on, pressing play. The video camera flashed on and it was focused on Haley, who was eating a brownie. She looked to be about seven or eight months pregnant. Kyla's voice was heard.

**Tape**  
_"Our little Haley, oops, I mean BIG Haley, is getting her third ultrasound today-" "Shut up Ky," Haley replied with a mouth full of brownie, "and put that damn camera away. We're not going yet." "Someone's a little hormonal today," Kyla remarked. "Yeah, well you try adding thirty to forty pounds to your body, go through non-stop nausea, swelling ankles, having to pee all the time, not to mention my back is killing me…" Haley rubbed her back with her hand._

"Come sit on the couch, I'll rub your back for you," Kyla said. "Thanks," Haley replied as her friend helped lower her onto the cushions then sat behind her and began to massage her shoulders and back. "That spot's really tender," Haley gritted her teeth and winced as she closed her eyes tightly at the pain shooting through her back when Kyla started in on her lower back. "Sorry, I'll be more careful." The pain came and went as Kyla continued to work at her muscles, but the pain didn't become any less. In fact, it felt as if it had worsened. "Uh, Haley, I know you have a weak bladder and all, but did you just pee your pants?" Kyla asked, feeling wetness against her leg on the couch behind Haley. "No…" Haley turned to look behind her at Kyla and she screamed out in agony when a jolt of immense pain shot down her spine. "Haley, are you okay," her friend asked worriedly. "Ky, I-I think I'm in labor," Haley shuddered as she gripped her stomach and tears fell down her cheeks at the incredible amount of pain she was experiencing.

"Oh my god! Okay, alright. Let's not panic here. Let me go get your bag and then we can go to the hospital. Will you be alright for a few minutes?" "Yes, just-just hurry…" Haley whispered as she shut her eyes again, feeling another contraction start up.

Once all the things they needed were gathered, Kyla helped lead Haley out to the car. As she settled her in the seat and buckled the belt, Haley cried out softly, "Ky, call Karen…Thank god she comes up to New York for the ultrasounds…" "Okay, okay, I will. Just breathe okay," Kyla responded, her eyes wide as golf balls as she breathed fast in panic. When she got in on the driver's side, Haley placed her hand on her friend's arm, "Breathe, Ky." She took a few moments to inhale and exhale deeply before she started the car and began driving quickly yet carefully to the hospital.  
**End Tape**

The video cut out into a black screen but the screen reappeared a few seconds later, this time at the hospital. Haley was lying on a gurney in a hospital room, one hand gripped around her belly and the other holding Karen's hand in a death hold, both women's hands turning white.

**Tape**  
_Karen moved some hair out of Haley's face and dabbed her forehead with a wet rag, "You're doing great honey. Not much longer." "I want the epidural! When are they going to give me the epidural!" Haley screamed as another contraction seized her body. "Honey, they aren't going to be able to give you one. You're too advanced into labor to do it. You're almost ready for delivery, Haley," Karen tried to soothe her, but it wasn't working. Haley felt another sharp pain engulf her abdomen and she screamed out loud as she gripped Karen's hand tighter, "SHI T! I want this baby out, NOW!"_

The doctor came in and checked her then replied, "Good news, Haley. You're ready to start pushing!" "Great! Now can we get my daughter out? She's not even born yet and she's already being a pain in the ass," Haley yelled as she closed her eyes and gritted her teeth. Karen chuckled at her comment. Haley glared at her, "You try having this kid!" "I've had enough with Lucas, thank you very much. He came out kicking and screaming," she replied, laughing again.

"Okay Haley, let's start pushing now. Take and deep breath and start pushing until I reach ten okay? Deep breath, Haley…Now push…" Haley sucked in a deep breath then closed her eyes tight as she pushed with all her might. "One, two, three, four, bear down Haley! Chin to chest! Five, six, seven, you're doing great, just a few more seconds, eight, nine, ten, and breathe!" Haley let out the breath she'd been holding as leaned back into the bed and cried, "I-I can't do this! Call Lucas. I need Lucas here. Please…I need him…I want him to be here for the birth of his daughter…" "No time! This baby is coming whether you're ready or not, Haley," the doctor replied, "it's time to push again." Karen stroked her hair, "You can do this, Haley. Just a couple more pushes and you can meet your daughter." "Take a deep breath and push, Haley," the doctor ordered. "You can do it, Hales," Kyla called from behind the video camera.

The doctor counted to ten two more times before Haley heard the loud cry. Tears fell down her face as Karen rested her forehead against Haley's right cheek, "You did it, honey. I am so proud of you." "Someone would like to see their mommy," the nurse smiled as she neared Haley with the baby in her arms and Haley reached out for her. The nurse tucked the baby into her mother's arms. Haley stared down at her daughter lovingly with a wide smile on her face. "She's beautiful, Hales," Karen said softly as she gently touched the back of the baby's small hand. Haley nodded tearfully, her gaze still trained on her daughter, "She's amazing…" Haley slipped an index finger between the baby's tiny fingers and the baby gripped it tight, opening her eyes. "She has your eyes," Karen remarked in a whisper.

"OW!" Haley shouted a few minutes later, leaning forward, holding the baby closer to her as she placed a hand on her stomach. The nurse quickly took her little girl from her arms. "Haley, what's wrong," Karen asked worriedly. "I-I don't know. Something's not right. It's too soon for the placenta," Haley responded shakily. "Haley, when was your last ultrasound," the doctor asked. "About two months ago. Why," she inquired concernedly. "Your doctor said everything was going smoothly, right?" "Yeah, she said I was a little underweight at the stage I was in, being only six months pregnant, but other than that, she said everything was fine." Haley was getting more worried by the second. "Just hold on, let me check you real quick," the doctor responded. "What's going on," Haley asked after a minute or two of silence from the doctor, beginning to panic.

"You're having twins, Haley," the doctor stated as she stood from her stool, smiling. "WHAT! But-but, the ultrasounds…there was only one baby," Haley shrieked in shock. Before the doctor could respond, another contraction started and she screamed out loud, "Dammit Lucas! You freaking overachiever! You couldn't succeed in multiplying the damn times table instead of multiplying babies!" Both Karen and Kyla burst out laughing at this.

"Time to push Haley," the doctor instructed. They went through the motions again; Karen holding her hand, the doctor counting to ten, Haley pushing. "And the baby's out," the doctor said after the second push, "it looks like Baby Number Two is a boy. Congratulations Haley, you have a son!" Haley listened for a few seconds and her eyes widened in worry, "He isn't crying! Why isn't he crying?" The doctor handed the baby wrapped in a blanket to a waiting nurse and she left the room. "Wait! Where are you taking him! I want to see my son! Bring him back!" Haley yelled as she reached out to the retreating nurse. "Kyla, turn off the camera," Karen said softly.  
**End Tape**

The screen went black again and this time nothing came on after it. Lucas sat there with tears in his eyes, cascading down his cheeks, for at least twenty minutes, all of what he had seen running through his mind over and over again. He wiped his nose and eyes with his shirt sleeve then ejected the tape from the VCR and clutched it to his chest. He slowly exited the room, tears still streaming down his face, and walked to the living room, finding Haley on the couch with the photo album.

When she spotted him, she moved the book and stood, waiting patiently for him to approach. When he reached her, he stared into her eyes for a few seconds before he slowly offered the video back to her. "T-Thank you," he managed to choke out through his tears. Haley shook her head and pushed his hand back towards him. "No, you keep it," she said softly. He nodded and clutched it back to his chest again. Then he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a tight embrace against his body. He held her like that for several minutes then loosened his hold a little bit and kissed her cheek. He slowly inched his mouth towards her lips and he kissed her again when his lips were half on top of hers before pulling away. He knew she wanted to take it slow. Haley stared into his blue eyes, hazy and dark with emotion. She leaned in and captured his lips, placing her hands on the side of his face, pressing harder into his mouth, her heart filled with so much love for the man standing in front of her.


	14. Chapter 14 Taking It Slow

**Author's Note:** Okay, I lied. I just can't stop writing this story! It's really short, but all fluff. I still really need to update my other stories though. I'll work on them this weekend. Not much else to say other than I hope you like it! As always, please read and review!

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. One Tree Hill and its characters are property of the WB.

**Rating:** K+ to T

**Finding Our Way Back**

**Chapter 14 – Taking It Slow**

"EWW! Katie! Mommy's kissing Daddy," Derek remarked when he saw them. They broke the kiss but still held each other in their embrace. Haley buried her face into Luke's chest in embarrassment at being caught by her five-year-old son. "That sounds like heaven," Lucas murmured into her hair. She looked up at him, "What does?" "My son calling me Daddy," Lucas smiled as he leaned his forehead against hers. He moved his head and gently captured her lips within his own, kissing her tenderly yet still with heat and passion. "Gross! I'm going back to my room. I don't want to watch this," Derek replied with a scrunched up face as he walked back to the bedroom he shared with Katie. Haley chuckled against his mouth as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer.

"So, you look happy," Kyla remarked as they sat out on the lounge chairs in the backyard, sipping lemonade. Haley smiled, "That's because I am. For the first time in my life since Katie and Derek were born, I'm truly happy." Kyla's eyes lit up and a wide grin spread across her face as she sat straight up in her chair, "You told him!" "More like he found out," Haley replied as she tossed an issue of People Magazine at her, the one that had had the article about her and Lucas in it. Kyla gaped at the cover, "You made the front page!" Haley rolled her eyes; for a person who kept to herself, it was weird how Kyla was obsessed with the limelight. She must have been a cheerleader in a past life.

Kyla read through the article then looked up at her confusedly, "How did he find out just from this? There's not any hard evidence besides some pictures of you and Luke with the kids." "He read the article and told me that I should call my publicist to clear that up," she motioned to the magazine, "saying that Nathan was the father. Of course I refused to do it. He kept pestering about it and I wasn't feeling too well, so it just irritated me more, until I just couldn't take it anymore so I grabbed the kids and stormed out of the café. Apparently Karen felt the need to butt in with her two cents and she told Luke after I left." "Wow," Kyla replied. "Yeah," Haley shrugged, taking a drink from her glass. "I'm so happy for you Haley, I'm glad you told him." Haley shrugged again, "Yeah, leave it to me to wait five years to tell the father of my children he actually has kids. I always was a late bloomer." Kyla laughed, "It's about time." Kyla went to hug her and partially wrapped her arms around Haley's neck, but her chair was too far away and it tipped over, causing her to fall to the ground.

Haley burst out laughing, "Ky, you didn't happen to add a little vodka to that lemonade, did you?" "Nope, that's just me, Kyla the Klutz," she replied as she righted her chair and sat back in it. She grabbed the magazine and looked at the article once more before gazing at Haley with a smile, "So Haley, what is the status of your relationship with Lucas Scott? Engaged? Married? Nope, there's no ring on your finger. Pregnant? Hmm, you do have that glow about you…did you and Luke consummate your reunion?" Kyla wiggled her eyebrows in suggestion. Haley slapped her with the back of her hand, "Ky!" "What," she asked innocently. "We're not like that. We haven't taken it that far yet. For now, we're just taking it slow," Haley replied. "That'll soon go out the window," Kyla mumbled.

Lucas quietly slipped into her classroom and locked the door behind him. He walked up behind her and snaked an arm around her waist as she wrote on the chalkboard, preparing for the day, "Hey you." "Luke," she said, startled. "I missed you," he said before planting his lips on hers. "Mmm, I love kissing you," Haley murmured against his mouth. "I love kissing you too," he replied, gripping her tighter to his body. The kiss became more heated and Lucas played with the hem of her blouse a few seconds before slipping his hands under and lightly grazing his fingers over her stomach. Haley pulled back, "Luke, we can't do this…" Lucas ran a hand through his hair, "I know you're not ready for that yet. I just- I needed to touch you." He gently took her hand, entwining their fingers, before lifting it up and kissing the back of her hand. She smiled up at him at the sweet gesture. "No, that's not what I meant. We're at school, Luke. We can't do this here," she let out a slight laugh, "god, that sounded so cheesy. So five years ago." Lucas chuckled as he wrapped his arms around her, tenderly kissing her lips. Then the bell rang. They broke apart and sighed as they leaned their foreheads together. "See you later," he replied after giving her a quick peck on the mouth before leaving the classroom. Haley sighed again as she ran a hand through her hair and straightened her blouse.


	15. Chapter 15 I Just Want To Take Care Of ...

**Author's Note:** Hey guys! Here's another chapter! It's really short and kind of dull and boring and not much happens, but I was kind of tired so I really wasn't inspired that much to write a more upbeat chapter. Anyways, I hope you like it! As always, please read and review!

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. One Tree Hill and its characters are property of the WB.

**Rating:** K+ to T

**Finding Our Way Back**

**Chapter 15 – I Just Want To Take Care Of You**

Haley felt miserable. This flu bug was really hitting her hard. After she called in sick to work, she called Kyla to take the kids to school then curled up on the couch wrapped in her comforter and a box of tissues in hand. The flu season was already in full swing and it was only the beginning of October. She coughed a few minutes straight and felt a little short of breath, her throat sore. Maybe she was coming down with Bronchitis. She'd had it as a kid and it had never been a fun thing to experience. She drank some NyQuil then laid her head in the crook of her arm, closing her eyes.

Haley woke up several hours later, finding Lucas leaning over her as he stroked her hair. "Hey, how are you feeling? I didn't see you at the school and then I heard you'd called in sick…" he gazed at her concernedly. "I'll be okay. Just stay away from me, I don't want to get you sick too," she replied as she wiped her nose with a tissue. "Oh, but that's all the better because then I could stay home with you," he smiled as he sat down on the edge of the couch beside her. "That's very sweet of you Luke, but no. I don't want to get you sick," she replied as she placed her hand on his chest and lightly pushed him back. "I made some soup for you," he said as he gestured to a tray with a bowl of soup and some crackers. "Thank you," she responded and started to wrap her arms around him, but she dropped them to her sides, "I would hug you, but I'm contagious." "That's alright," he said then picked up the tray and positioned it in Haley's lap.

She sipped the warm soup and it felt good running down her sore throat. The juice wasn't too thick or too runny and it stuck to your insides like a good homemade soup. "You got this from the café, didn't you," she asked. "No. It's mom's recipe but I made it," he replied. "It's really good," Haley responded as she took another bite. Suddenly she felt nauseous and she quickly moved the tray to the coffee table and sprinted down the hallway to the bathroom. Lucas followed and held her hair for her as she coughed up the contents of her stomach. When Haley was done and she had cleaned up her face and brushed her teeth, Lucas replied with a chuckle, "Guess it wasn't that great." "No, it's just that I've hardly been able to keep anything down. I wish this bug would just go away," she responded as she sighed. Lucas wrapped his arms around her in a hug and she tried to push him away but he held her closer, "I don't care if I get sick. I just want to take care of you." Haley rested her head on his chest and hugged him back.

"Hey, feeling any better," Lucas asked a few days later, placing his hand on her back. "A little," she replied as she grabbed some orange juice out of the fridge in the teachers lounge and poured herself a cup. They walked along the hallways towards Haley's classroom. By now, almost everyone had read the article in People magazine and they were all ecstatic about the news, especially the girls. They all kept asking questions even though it was so obvious that they were together. They even asked about the kids too.

"Hi Ms. James," Heather, one of Haley's students in her second hour English class, said then nodded to Lucas, "Hello Mr. Scott." "Good morning, Heather," Haley greeted her with a smile. "Morning," Lucas replied. He then leaned in and whispered in her ear before lightly kissing her temple and patting her back, "I'll catch ya later. I've gotta get ready for the gym class."

Heather was a shy person, one of those girls who sat in the front and dedicated to her studies but kept quiet unless called on. Much like she herself had been when she was younger. Haley had tried to get her to come out of her shell, making her participate in class more and talking to her before and after class. She was always one of the first ones to arrive to her class and they'd talk a lot, realizing they had many things in common, mostly to what Haley had been like in high school. They were both avid book readers and loved watching movies; they had similar tastes in music as well. She was a very bright student and she'd often lend her books to read outside of class.

"I finished the book you gave me, Ms. James," Heather replied as she pulled the book out of her backpack and handed it to her. "Really? Wow, that was fast," Haley responded as she took it from her. "Yeah, I really liked it and it was interesting so I read it faster. I couldn't put the book down," the young woman answered. Haley nodded her head towards the door and smiled, "Come on, let's go into my classroom and we can talk about it." Heather nodded her head then followed her inside.

Lucas entered Haley's apartment later that afternoon to check on her. She hadn't eaten anything at lunch and he'd heard that she'd gotten sick and went home early. He found Haley conked out on the couch as she occasionally let out a series of small coughs. It was amazing how she could do that; sleep through all that coughing, but she did. He carefully gathered her in his arms and carried her to the bedroom, pulling back the covers and placing her on the bed. He gently kissed her on the lips, not wanting to wake her, then slipped in on the other side. He wrapped his arms around her and nestled his face in her hair, inhaling her scent, and closed his eyes.


	16. Chapter 16 Two Peas In A Pod: The Pink ...

**Author's Note:** Hey guys! Here's a new chapter! It's better than the last one and a little bit longer. I might have another chapter up for you guys tomorrow, but I'm not sure. I've been pretty tired lately and might want to sleep in but it'll be just my luck if I wake up early because my internal clock is set to like only let me have 5 or 6 hours of sleep a night. Anyways, I hope you like it! As always, please read and review!

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. One Tree Hill and its characters are property of the WB.

**Rating:** K+ to T

**Finding Our Way Back**

**Chapter 16 – Two Peas In A Pod: The Pink Bunny and The Carrot**

A few weeks had passed and Haley was still sick, although the bug had finally decided to take a brief vacation and let her feel somewhat normal for a few days. It was two days before Halloween and the four of them were at a costume store, searching for, well, costumes of course. They had been so busy with school and Haley not feeling well that they'd procrastinated until last minute. Needless to say, there wasn't much to choose from.

"Mommy, I want this one," Katie said as she held up a white angel costume with butterfly wings, a halo, and gold ribbon around the waist, tied in a bow in the back under the wings. The wings also had gold trimming as well as the hems of the dress. "It's beautiful, kiddo. Here, let me see," Haley gestured for Katie to hand it to her. She looked at the tag and noticed it was just the right size, "Perfect, it'll fit you." "Mommy, Daddy, you guys have to get a costume too," Derek said a few minutes later as Lucas helped him try to find one he liked. Haley and Lucas both looked at each other. "D, I don't think we're gonna do that this year…" Haley trailed off as she stared at her son, who started giving her his puppy dog pout, so much like his father's. It was enough being sick and having to go out in the cold weather and possibly get even more sick, but to have to embarrass herself in a pink bunny suit? Not doing much at making her feel better. It hadn't really bothered her in New York because most of the apartments in her building had housed tenants in their later years, who often thought it was endearing that she dressed up just for her kids. But this was Tree Hill. "Please Mommy? You did it last year and the year before that. You can even wear that pink bunny costume you wear every year. Come on Mommy, please," Derek begged with a hopeful look in his eyes. "Alright…" Haley responded with a sigh. She gave Lucas a look that said he would be doing this no matter if he wanted to or not. "It could be fun," Lucas replied with a shrug. He knew it would be fun; seeing Haley in a pink bunny costume and going trick-or-treating with his kids for the first time would be amazing.

"Oh! Daddy, you can be a carrot to go with Mommy because bunnies eat carrots. But Mommy, don't eat Daddy. We want to keep him," Katie said as she ran over to her father and hugged his legs, "I love you Daddy." Hearing that still brought tears to his eyes. He picked her up and held her close to his chest, kissing her auburn locks of hair, "I love you too Katie." "Daddy, I want a hug too," Derek said as he rushed over and reached his arms up to him. He crouched down and picked his son up too. Both the kids laid their heads on their father's shoulder. Haley smiled through her own tears. It was a picture perfect moment. Too bad they didn't have a camera with them.

"Daddy, I know what I want to be for Halloween now," Derek said excitedly a few minutes later. "What," Lucas inquired interestedly. "You," his son replied. "Me," he asked. "Yeah. I want to be a basketball player and wear a jersey outfit just like you," Derek explained. Lucas smiled, "I think we can do that."

Halloween finally came and the couple walked along the streets of Tree Hill, the kids running ahead to the next house. Just like Katie and Derek had wanted, Haley dressed up in her pink bunny suit and Lucas wore the carrot costume. Katie was dressed up in her angel costume adorned with gold glitter in her hair and some spread scarcely on her face and arms. To fulfill Derek's costume, Lucas had gone to the local sports store and gotten a Lakers jersey with Scott and his number 3 on it in his son's size as well as a pair of shorts and a small basketball. Derek was bouncing this down the sidewalk now.

"Come on Mommy, Daddy. You're walking too slow," Katie said impatiently as she waited at the end of the driveway at the next house. With Derek holding his basketball and Katie her Angel Wand, as she liked to call it, Haley and Lucas had been the designated holders of their candy bags, as long as they didn't eat any. "We're coming," Lucas called out. The older woman who answered the door smiled at the four of us and commented on our costumes as she put candy into the bags. They visited houses for the next hour and half, until the kids started getting tired from all the walking, as was Haley in her current sick state. They'd occasionally pick them up and carry them but they too often wanted to run to the next house, expending their energy a little faster.

Their last stop was made to Karen's house. As they walked up the sidewalk to the door, Lucas rubbed her shoulder, "How are you feeling? You're not too cold?" "A little, but I'm hot too. I wonder how it's possible you can be both hot and cold at the same time," she replied, "I just wish this sickness would go away. I want go back to feeling normal again." She laid her head on his shoulder but her big bunny ears hit him in the face. "Sorry," she responded as she wrapped an arm around his waist. "That's alright. I just want you to get better. I hate seeing you so sick like this," he replied as he kissed her cheek tenderly. "I know," she answered as she snuggled into him. "Hales, you've been sick for almost a month now and it hasn't gone away. You should go to the doctor," he suggested. "Lucas, it's just the flu. There's really not much I can do about it besides take some over-the-counter medicine." He knew she hated doctors and tried to avoid one as much as possible when it came to herself. "It's gotten worse Hales. You're coughing all the time, throwing up your food, you've had fevers…you need some antibiotics. Over-the-counter stuff won't do it for you. I'm just worried about you Hales," Lucas gazed at her with concern in his eyes as he rubbed her lower back. "I know. I'll call the doctor and schedule an appointment tomorrow," she replied. "Thank you," he responded as he lightly squeezed her around the waist and kissed her forehead.

The walked up the steps to the door of Karen's house where the kids were waiting and they rung the doorbell. It was a few minutes before she answered the door. When she saw Haley in her pink bunny suit and Lucas in the carrot costume, her eyes widened as a hand flew to her mouth, "Oh my…"


	17. Chapter 17 Doctor's Appointment

**Author's Note:** Hey guys! Here's your chapter for today! In this chapter you'll find out why Haley's been so sick. Not much else to say other than there won't be as much updates as there were last weekend because I don't have three days to write and I promised myself I would work on ITPOAA and TSS this weekend. Anyways, I hope you like it! As always, please read and review!

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. One Tree Hill and its characters are property of the WB.

**Rating:** K+ to T

**Finding Our Way Back**

**Chapter 17 – Doctor's Appointment**

Lucas lay in bed with his arms wrapped around Haley as she slept. Ever since a month ago, when he had found out about his kids and they had gotten together, Lucas had been staying over at Haley's apartment more, even overnight. He looked at the clock and saw that it was nearly six. He and Haley would have to get up soon to get the kids ready and go to the school. He hated that he had to wake her. The past few nights, her coughing spells had become worse and they caused her stay awake at night, leaving less time for sleep she desperately needed. That would be taken care of today though, Lucas thought. She had the doctor's appointment today and he was certain she would be given antibiotics to cure that nasty cough and whatever was ailing her.

He kissed her shoulder and stroked her arm up and down, "Hales, baby, wake up. We have to get the kids up and go to work." "Mmm," Haley groaned as she stirred awake. He kissed her nose, "Good morning." Haley shook her head and replied in a childish tone, "No, not good morning." "I'm sorry," he pouted with his lower lip sticking out, "I wish I could make you feel better." Haley smiled and tapped her cheek with an index finger. Lucas grinned and complied with her request, kissing her cheek softly. They hadn't kissed on the mouth for over a month, ever since Haley had gotten sick, because she didn't want to get Lucas sick too. It was killing him not to kiss her. He wanted to caress her lips with his own, explore her mouth all over again.

"We need to get up. I'll wake the kids and you can take your shower first. Don't forget to remind the receptionist and Mrs. Brown that you're leaving for a little bit today for your doctor's appointment." Mrs. Brown was the teacher that would be covering Haley's classes while she was gone. Haley had been forced to choose today for the visit to her doctor. Lucas had wanted her to see one as soon as possible and the only other openings were two or three weeks away; they were booked solid. "I won't," she replied as she rose from the bed and headed to the bathroom for her shower.

Haley looked at her watch; it was almost 9:30. She'd have to leave for the doctor soon. She called Mrs. Brown and started gathering up her belongings while she waited for the woman to come to her classroom. The students were in groups reading the assigned book aloud and discussing them. Once she arrived, Haley slung her work bag over her shoulder and picked up her purse. "Class, Mrs. Brown will be supervising the rest of this period for today because I have a doctor's appointment to go to. I want you to continue reading the rest of the hour and be sure to finish chapters eight and nine by Thursday. I will see you all tomorrow," she waved to her class as she walked out the door. Students leaned in towards each other and shared whispers. They too had noticed Haley feeling sick and they talked animatedly about what the doctor's appointment might mean.

Haley sat in the stuffy waiting room with bland gray walls and a nasty sterile smell as she impatiently flipped through some old magazine from three months ago. She hated going to the doctor. She hated being poked and prodded, needles stuck in her arms, being asked personal questions. A nurse came out and called her name, "Haley James." She sighed as she rose from her seat and followed the woman back into an exam room. She was weighed and her height taken despite the fact that she hadn't grown an inch since junior year in high school. One of those awful gowns was handed to her by the nurse, "Please change into this. The doctor will be in shortly." Haley used the bathroom in the corner to remove her clothes and put on the uncomfortable, skimpy piece of paper that they called a gown. She then hopped up onto the exam table and smoothed the bottom of the gown tight to her legs so the doctor wouldn't be able to see anything in between. Haley didn't care that they were a doctor; she didn't want anybody to get a peek at what they weren't supposed to see. The doctor appeared a few minutes later, "Hello Ms. James, how are you feeling?" "Sick," she replied. "Okay, first let's get a brief history. When was the date of your last period?" Haley rolled her eyes. And here came the start of the annoying personal questions. She hated this doctor already.

Lucas arrived home later than evening around six after practice with the team. He had been worried about Haley all day. She hadn't come back to the school after her doctor's appointment. He found her lying in bed asleep, curled up with a throw pillow wrapped in her arms. Lucas gently grazed her cheek with an index finger, not wanting to wake her for he knew she needed the sleep. Yet she stirred and yawned as she slowly fluttered her eyes open.

"Hi," she said in a soft, raspy voice as she turned a little more to face him. "Hey," he replied as he sat on the edge of the bed and brushed some hair out of her face then rubbed her back. "How did your doctor's appointment go," he asked. "Horrible," she replied with a shudder, "they had to stick needles in me and they had to draw blood. They poked me three times and they didn't get any good veins because then they realized that I was dehydrated. So they stuck another needle in me and had me on IV fluids for an hour and a half while I laid on this small, hard exam bed in this uncomfortable papery gown that could have been used as toilet paper while I stared up at the ceiling and counted the ugly tiles. Then they stuck another needle in me and finally got the blood out and they took like four freaking vials of blood. I'm not kidding you. The stethoscope was cold and the blood pressure cuff pinched my arm and he asked me all these personal questions. I hate doctors!" Before Lucas could say anything, she began ranting again, "Then I had to wait another hour for them to get the damn results while my arms still hurt like hell from all those needles. Then they told me to go home and rest and drink lots of water. The nerve of them! I-"

Lucas gently took her hand and squeezed it, "What were the results?" Haley sighed as she laid her head on his shoulder, "We were both right. I have Bronchitis. And the flu. Combined. And the doctor gave me these horrible tasting antibiotics. Double the sickness, triple the torture. Can't they make them in those nice-tasting flavors like cherry or grape like they do the kids medicines?" When the doctor had asked her when her last period was, she'd panicked and immediately counted the days although in the back of her mind, she knew she wasn't pregnant. They'd hadn't even had sex yet. True to their words, they were taking it slow. He wrapped an arm around her waist and hugged her as he kissed the top of her head. "It'll get better sweetie, I just wish it wasn't hitting you so hard. You're always coughing or have a fever, throwing up, runny or stuffed up nose, watery eyes… I wish it would go all away so you wouldn't have to deal with it. Plus, I hate not kissing you," he pouted. "I miss kissing you too…" she replied as she stared up into his blue eyes then said before planting her lips on his in a passionate kiss, "Screw it. If you get sick, you can blame it on yourself for wanting to kiss me."

**Author's Note:** This actually happened to me. Not actually having both the flu and Bronchitis, but I had Bronchitis a couple years ago and I had it for like 3 or 4 freaking months! It was horrible!


	18. Chapter 18 Dinner By Candlelight

**Author's Note:** Hey guys! Here's your chapter for today! Not much else to say other than this ezboard problem with the posts and deletion of stories is driving me insane and very pissed as I am sure a lot of you are because your stories have been affected too. Anyways, I hope you like it! As always, please read and review!

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. One Tree Hill and its characters are property of the WB.

**Rating:** K+ to T

**Finding Our Way Back**

**Chapter 18 – Dinner By Candlelight**

Haley sighed as school let out for the day. She was tired and still had to stay here for three more hours to grade papers. If she took them home, she would never get them done with both Lucas and the kids distracting her. There was a quiet knock on the door and the door opened slightly, "Ms. James?" Haley looked up and pulled off her reading glasses, "Yes?" The door opened more and revealed one of her favorite students, Heather Montgomery. She smiled and gestured with her hand to come near, "Heather, come in." The young girl slowly walked over to her desk and when she stood in front of it, Haley asked, "What can I do for you?" "Um, I was wondering…I know you're really busy with grading papers right now but um, I wrote some poems and I-I would like it if you could read them, and maybe, uh, comment on them. Whenever you have the time," Heather asked shyly.

Haley's smiled broadened. This was the first time any of her students had come to her and asked her to do this. She felt so honored. Heather was a very bright student. She loved to read and write and draw. Haley just knew Heather would accomplish great things with her life if she just put herself out there a little more. She was a shy, timid girl, and not really part of a clique or crowd, mostly just off doing her own thing by herself. They had become fast friends because of their many similarities yet still maintained their student-teacher relationship. They didn't hang out after school or anything, but they'd sit in Haley's classroom sometimes and just talk, or discuss books, any number of things. Heather had opened up to her and it seemed that she was getting a little better at coming out of her shell. She had begun to talk to some of the other kids in her second period English class and participated more of her own free will than Haley calling on her.

"I'd love to, Heather. It'd be my pleasure. You're a great writer and you have talent. I've seen your writing and it's fantastic. I know these will be just as great. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to see work you've written outside of school." Heather blushed at the lavish compliment, "Thank you, Ms. James." "You're welcome Heather," Haley replied. "Well, I have to get going. I have to go pick up my little brother from elementary school," Heather responded. "How old is your little brother," Haley asked. "Six years old, he's in first grade," the girl answered. "Really? That's great! You should bring him over to meet my kids; they're five. They hardly know any other children here besides the ones they know in kindergarten. Does he like basketball?" "Yeah, he loves basketball. It drives me nuts sometimes. He always wants to play basketball or watch a game or play Street Ball 2 on the Playstation," Heather replied with a laugh.

Haley grinned, "He and Derek will hit it right off." "Yeah, once Joey finds out that Lucas, I mean Mr. Scott, the star NBA basketball player, is Derek's dad, he'll never want to leave him alone. He wants to be a basketball player when he grows up. Or so he says this month," Heather rolled her eyes. "When you grow up in Tree Hill, almost every guy's dream is becoming a basketball star. This town is like Basketball Central. It's a very serious sport here," Haley responded. Heather nodded in agreement, "Well, I really have to go pick Joey up now. He'll get really mad if he misses the game this afternoon. It's the conference finals apparently. San Antonio Spurs against Phoenix Suns." "Oh god, Lucas is probably going to be pigging out on the couch when I get home," Haley replied then blushed at telling one of her students about Lucas' leisure activities. Heather laughed and waved goodbye as she made her way out of the classroom, "See you tomorrow Ms. James."

When Haley finally arrived home around seven, she was surprised she didn't find Lucas sprawled out on the couch, a bag of chips in hand, as he watched the basketball game Heather had mentioned earlier. The apartment was dimly lit with one or two lights on in the living room. She placed her purse and keys on the small table by the door, where she found a note. It read: _Come to the kitchen._ Haley smiled and excitement filled her with anticipation of what Luke had done for her. There she found another note: _Go to the den._ The den was essentially another living room, but this one had the Playstation, another television, and games that they played. In other words, this was the playroom.

Haley walked into the den, finding it set in an ethereal glow by candles surrounding the room. The couch had been moved back a bit and two large pillows sat on either side of the coffee table, two candles as a centerpiece, and two covered plates with champagne sitting in an ice bucket. Soft music started to play and she whirled around, finding Lucas standing behind her, a wide smile on his face and a rose in hand. They began to walk towards each other and Haley quickened her pace, closing the distance between them. She wrapped her arms around his neck and captured his lips in a powerful kiss.

She had felt drained all day and even more so after grading all those papers then remembering that she'd have to go home and cook dinner for the kids, give them baths, and get them to bed. Once they broke for air, Haley smiled up at him before placing another light kiss on his mouth. "Thank you for this. It's beautiful. I thought you'd be on the couch with your eyes glued to the television screen because of that basketball game tonight for the conference finals. Now I find that you did all this…" Lucas' eyes bulged, "The game's tonight?" He made a move to the living room but stopped and smiled at her expression. "Just kidding. Can't I do something nice for my girlfriend, even if it means missing one of the most important basketball games of the year?" "Yes, and I love you very much for it," Haley grinned as she pecked him on the lips.

"Come on, dinner's getting cold," he said, rubbing her back, as he led her to the coffee table and they each sat down on a pillow. Lucas popped the cork on the champagne and poured some in their glasses. "To us," he raised his glass and met hers with a clink. "So, what did you cook us for dinner? I hope you didn't burn down my kitchen," she replied with a wink and a smirk. She knew Lucas was a great cook, but he did have his moments. "It was that one time! You'll never let me live it down will you?" "Oh really? I happen to remember some other times…" she smiled. Lucas rolled his eyes. He uncovered the two plates and Haley's smile grew at the sight. "Macaroni and cheese? You remembered…" "Of course, the food of the Gods. How could I forget? You said you could live off this stuff if you had to," he responded. "Only if you cooked it," she grinned, "you make it the best way." "And you claimed I burned down your kitchen…" he smirked. "You did! Don't deny it! I'm sure that black charcoal stain is still on that wall in the kitchen by the stove." "Enough arguing, let's eat before it gets cold," he replied. Haley nodded and brought a forkful of the food to her mouth, "Mmm, this is delicious. You always make the best macaroni and cheese." "Thank you, glad you like it," he responded as he took a bite of his own.

As they ate, they talked about their day and about the kids, various things that had gone on that they didn't know about. Haley informed him of the potential play date in the future with Heather's brother, Joey, and how he idolized basketball players. They joked back and forth, their usual banter, just enjoying the quiet moment and being with each other. At a slow song, Lucas asked Haley to dance. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he wrapped his around her waist as they took small steps, moving slowly in a circle. Haley stood on her tip toes and gently pressed her lips to his in a tender yet passionate kiss that lasted several moments as the music flowed through their bodies.

_I wanna give every part of you  
The attention it deserves  
I wanna take it slow  
Get you in the mood  
Cause the clocks not gonna turn  
We've been waiting for a couple of weeks  
And I know we shouldn't rush  
There's no one here but us_

I don't want this to die  
Don't wanna ever forget this night  
To hurry you would be a crime  
Let's take our time  
Let's take our time

Something so right when I hold you  
I don't ever wanna let you go  
When you whisper in my ear  
All the things you want to do  
This sensation starts to grow  
I dreamt about it every day and night  
Never thought that you'd come true  
Now It's just me and you

I dont want this to die  
Don't wanna ever forget this night  
To hurry you would be a crime  
Let's take our time  
Let's take our time

I don't want this to die  
Don't wanna ever forget this night  
To hurry you would be a crime  
Let's take our time  
I don't want this to die  
Don't wanna ever forget this night  
To hurry you would be a crime

Let's take our time, Let's take our time  
Let's take our time, Let's take our time  
Let's take our time...

The song ended and Lucas kissed her gently, "I know you must be tired from today. Why don't I go start you a warm bubble bath?" "That would be great, thanks," Haley replied, running her fingers through his short blonde locks. "Be right back," he whispered against her mouth before heading to the bathroom.

Lucas was laying in bed when Haley finally came out of the bathroom after soaking for twenty minutes. She crawled into bed beside him and slipped under the covers. She turned and laid her head on his shoulder, placing her hand on his chest, "Thank you for tonight. It was just what I needed." He rubbed the side of her arm, "Tired?" She shook her head, "Not really. I feel a little refreshed after that bath." Haley's hand subtly drifted lower and she slipped it under his shirt, running her fingers over his chest. Lucas' eyes widened and he looked down at her, who gazed back up at him with a seductive smirk.

"Are you sure you're ready? We don't have to do this if you're not ready…" Lucas began but she silenced him with a kiss. "I've been ready since the day you showed up at my door…" she murmured against his mouth. Lucas took this as all the permission he needed. He slowly lifted the nightgown over her head and turned them so Haley was lying back on the bed as he hovered over her. He began to run his hands across her delicate skin, caressing every part of her, rediscovering and re-familiarizing himself with every inch of her body…


	19. Chapter 19 Picnics and Basketball Games

**Author's Note: **Hey guys! Here's your chapter! Mostly complete mush and fluff but some other stuff too. I hope you guys like it! As always, please read and review!

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing. One Tree Hill and its characters are property of the WB.

**Rating: **K+ to T

**Finding Our Way Back **

**Chapter 19 – Picnics and Basketball Games **

"Lucas, what are you doing," Haley laughed as he grabbed her hand and pulled her up from her desk chair in their bedroom. "Saving you from that jail sentence I call grading papers," he smiled, "come on." "Katie! Derek! Let's go," he called out as he led her to the kitchen and grabbed a basket on the counter. "Coming Daddy," the two yelled in unison as they ran to meet their parents. "Where are you taking us," Haley asked as they walked outside and locked the apartment. "We're going to the park to have a picnic," Lucas grinned. Haley smiled back as she linked her arm through his and laid her cheek against his shoulder as they walked down the sidewalk, the kids running ahead with their basketball.

Lucas spread out the large blanket under their tree and Haley helped him set the food out. There were turkey sandwiches, potato salad, a bowl of mix fruit, and a bottle of red fruit punch for each of them. The kids were quick to eat their food and ran off to the playground, eager to go down the slides and swing across the monkey bars. Once Haley was finished, she laid down and stared up at the sky, watching the clouds and lost in her own thoughts. Lucas joined her a few minutes later and took one of her hands into his own, kissing the back of it softly. She turned her head towards him and smiled, leaning over and pressing her lips tenderly to his, "I love you." "Love you too," he murmured as he brushed a few stray strands of hair away from her face and kissed her cheek.

They laid like that for another twenty minutes before sitting up and adjusting their positions. Lucas leaned back against the tree and Haley sat between his legs, he wrapping his arms around her waist, as they talked and watched the kids play on the playground with some other children.

A few minutes later, a little boy about Derek and Katie's age came up to them. "Hey, are you that basketball player from the Lakers, um, Lucas Scott," the boy asked, wringing his hands in shyness. Lucas unwrapped his arms from Haley and stood, "Yeah." The boy's eyes grew wide when he took in Lucas' height compared to his small body, "Wow! You're TALL!" Lucas chuckled and bent down on one knee, "What's your name?" "J-" the boy began but he was interrupted by a teenage girl calling and running after him, "Joey! There you are!" Haley smiled as she stood as well, "Heather! This is your little brother?" Heather nodded and ruffled Joey's dark brown hair, "Yep, this is the little rugrat." "Hey!" Joey protested, pushing her hand away and smoothing his hair. Lucas, still down on one knee, took Joey's hand and shook it, "Nice to meet you Joey."

"Daddy," Derek screamed as he and Katie ran towards the small group, "I wanna go play basketball!" "Okay kiddos, let's go over to the rivercourt. Heather, why don't you and Joey come along too? Haley told me that Joey loves basketball and he can play with us. We can each take a kid," Lucas offered with a smile. "Really," Joey asked, his eyes growing large again as a wide smile spread across his face. "Sure," Lucas replied.

Haley and Lucas packed up all their belongings and they all headed over to the rivercourt. "Alright, let's pair up. Me and Derek, Haley and Katie, and Heather and Joey. Play to twelve," Lucas responded as he placed Derek on his shoulders. Heather laughed, "I can't play basketball worth my life." Haley shrugged and grinned, "Neither can I, but he still makes be do it." Haley took Katie's hand and led her onto the court, Heather and Joey following suit. They played for a little bit and of course Derek and Lucas won the game. Heather and Haley decided to take a little break while Lucas took turns with each of the kids, lifting them up so they could make baskets and teaching them some basic moves. Unfortunately, Haley was still battling her fight with Bronchitis and the flu and she had starting coughing after awhile from all the running around.

"Joey's going to want to follow Mr. Scott around like a dog from now on. He idolizes him. He thinks he's the best thing since sliced bread," Heather laughed as watched Joey continually get Lucas to lift him up for baskets. They were sitting on the bench of the old picnic table, leaning back on their elbows on the table top. Haley chuckled too, "He and Derek seem to get along pretty well too." "Yeah," Heather agreed. "Help! Haley, Heather! They're taking me down!" Lucas yelled as he ran from the three kids, who were chasing after him then tickling him until he fell onto the grass with a flop. Haley rolled her eyes, "Come on, let's go save him from the little monsters."

Later that afternoon, Derek and Katie were napping and Haley was in the kitchen eating some strawberries. Lucas came up from behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. He kissed her the column of her neck before turning her slightly and covering her mouth with his. "Mmm, yummy," he responded with a grin after tasting the strawberry on her lips. Haley giggled then offered him a strawberry, which he ate from her fingers. She grabbed another strawberry and sunk her teeth into the top of it. Lucas grinned as he leaned in and bit into the other end, sealing their kiss. Haley chuckled against his mouth then pulled away, smiling up at him. He could see the love and desire burning in her eyes, that little twinkle in them.

Lucas smirked as he leaned down and picked her up, gently throwing her over his shoulder and carrying her to the bedroom. "Luke!" Haley shrieked. He carefully tossed her on the bed, beginning to tickle her. "Sh, Luke! We're going to wake up the kids," Haley giggled as she squirmed beneath his fingers. "They won't if you're quiet," he grinned as he smothered her lips with his. Haley giggled again as she pushed him away, turned, and started crawling towards the head of the bed, turning on the stereo with the remote. The soft, soothing tones of John Mayer filled the room. As Haley listened to the words, she smiled and pulled Lucas on top of her, pressing her lips passionately to his mouth, "Perfect."

_We got the afternoon,  
You got this room for two,  
One thing I've left to do,  
Discover me,  
Discovering you. _

One mile to every inch of,  
Your skin like porcelain,  
One pair of candy lips and,  
Your bubblegum tongue.

Cause if you want love,  
We'll make it,  
Swim in a deep sea,  
Of blankets,  
Take all your big plans,  
And break 'em,  
This is bound to be a while.

Your body is a wonderland,  
Your body is a wonder (I'll use my hands),  
Your body is a wonderland.

Something 'bout the way the hair falls in your face,  
I love the shape you take when crawling towards the pillowcase,  
You tell me where to go and,  
Though I might leave to find it,  
I'll never let your head hit the bed,  
Without my hand behind it.

You want love,  
We'll make it,  
Swim in a deep sea,  
Of blankets,  
Take all your big plans,  
And break 'em,  
This is bound to be a while.

Your body is a wonderland,  
Your body is a wonder (I'll use my hands),  
Your body is a wonderland.

Damn baby,  
You frustrate me,  
I know you're mine, all mine, all mine  
But you look so good it hurts sometimes.

Your body is a wonderland,  
Your body is a wonder (I'll use my hands),  
Your body is a wonderland,  
Your body is a wonderland

Two days later, Haley carried Derek on her hip as she led Katie by the hand to the bleacher stands. "Haley," a voice called. She looked up and her face brightened, "Ky!" She made her way up the few rows to where Kyla stood waiting. The two women embraced. "It's so great to see you! I'm sorry we haven't visited or talked in awhile, I've been so busy with school and being sick and everything else that I just haven't-" "It's okay Hales, I've been pretty busy too. This place is an inspiration mad house for writing," Kyla replied with a laugh. "So, what are you doing here," Haley asked after she and the kids settled down into their seats. "I thought I'd relive my high school days and actually show some school spirit. Plus, I came to see the hotties," she responded. "Eww! Ky, that's gross! They're like seven or eight years younger than you," Haley's face scrunched in disgust. "I'm not talking about them. I came to see the coach. Isn't that why you're here," she winked at her with a knowing smile.

"Keep your hands off my man; he's taken," she mock glared at her with a little growl then smiled at her. "I know, I know," she raised her hands in defense. "Heather," Haley called out when she spotted the girl. She waved and made her way up to them. "Hey Ms. James. Katie, Derek," she tickled the kids' tummies and they giggled. "Ky, this is one of my students, Heather Montgomery. Heather, this is my friend Kyla," Haley introduced. "Nice to meet you," Kyla offered out her hand. "You too," Heather replied as she shook her hand.

Down on the floor, the basketball team was doing warm up free throws as Lucas watched from the sidelines. Lucas looked up into the stands, finding Haley in the massive crowd. Their gazes met and both smiled. She mouthed, 'I love you' to him. His smile became even bigger at this. "Boys, continue your free throws. I'll be back in a minute," he called out. He then climbed up the bleachers to where Haley was. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her passionately. "I love you," he murmured against her lips. A few feet away, Kyla smiled, "That's so romantic. They're so in love…" Kyla responded as she stared at the two. "Yeah, it's great, isn't it? That whole best friends turned into lovers thing is a fairytale come true right there," Heather replied dreamily with a sigh. "Heather, I think you just wrote me my next book," Kyla smiled at her with twinkle in her eyes.


	20. Chapter 20 Sealing the Deal and The Holi

**Author's Note: **Hey guys! Here's your chapter for today! Sorry it seems a little rushed. A certain someone wanted to read the new chapter before they went to bed so I tried to finish it up quickly. I hope you like it! As always, please read and review!

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing. One Tree Hill and its characters are property of the WB.

**Rating: **K+ to T

**Finding Our Way Back **

**Chapter 20 – Sealing the Deal and The Holidays **

November passed by in almost a blur and it was already Thanksgiving. Everyone had been invited over to Karen's house for dinner to celebrate the holiday. Everyone being Lucas, Haley, and the kids, Kyla, Deb, Whitey, and Keith. Keith had moved back to Tree Hill two years prior to take over the dealership after Dan's death. No one had really been sad about his passing, of course because he'd ruined so many lives. Deb had divorced him shortly after Lucas had left for Charleston and she'd gotten the house, practically everything except for the beach house and the dealership, but yet she still managed to control that because it was her money that had financed and funded the company all those years. Nobody wanted Whitey to be all alone on a holiday and he was almost family anyway, as was Kyla, who didn't really know anybody else in Tree Hill besides the small group.

"Hey guys," Karen greeted Haley, Lucas, and the kids when she heard the doorbell. She hugged both Haley and Lucas then kissed them on their cheeks. "Hey Karen, thanks for having us over. I didn't really feel up to cooking a whole big dinner," Haley replied. "Nonsense, you're always welcome over here, you know that," Karen responded. "I know you probably already have a bunch of desserts, but I brought one," Haley smiled as she lifted up a cake container. Karen's eyes brightened, "Is that your famous strawberry shortcake?" Haley nodded and the older woman squealed in delight as she took it from her. "Is there anything I can do to help," Haley asked. "Sure, you can come help me with the food. Lucas, go set the table," Karen said. "Yes ma'am," he replied then took Katie and Derek's hands as he led them to the dining room, "come on kids, let's go set the table." "Don't break my good china," Karen called out from the kitchen.

Soon the others arrived and dinner was served. Lucas did the honors of cutting the bird and Karen led the prayer. They passed around the various dishes and started to eat. When the ravenous consummation of food finally began to dwindle, they began to talk about things going on in their lives. Things including how the café was doing, the dealership, Kyla's writing, Whitey's retirement, the kids, and eventually the conversation turned to Lucas and Haley. All had been ecstatic when they'd found out Haley and Lucas had finally gotten together after all those years apart. Kyla, never one to beat around the bush, asked bluntly one moment during a pause in conversation, "So guys, when are you two going to do this right, seal the deal and get hitched?" At that moment, Haley had just taken a sip of her iced tea and she now spit it out, beginning to cough, "K-Ky!" Lucas dropped his forkful of mashed potatoes, clattering onto his plate, in shock. Lucas patted her back but she still continued to cough harshly, the Bronchitis kicking in. Haley felt the nausea and dizziness settling in. She sometimes felt dizzy and sick to her stomach after coughing so hard that sometimes her insides hurt.

She stood from her chair and quickly sprinted to the bathroom. "I'll go see if she's alright," Lucas responded as he too got up from the table. He lightly knocked on the bathroom door, "Hales?" He crouched down beside her and held her hair as she coughed into the toilet, sometimes actually throwing up, but mostly coughing only resulted. After about ten more minutes, she finally raised her head and sat up, leaning back into his strong chest. He gently wiped her mouth with a wet rag. He felt her forehead and he could tell that her temperature was slightly elevated. "I don't feel so good…" Haley replied weakly.

"Sh, baby, you're running a little bit of a fever. I'm going to go get the kids and I'm going to take you home okay? I'll be right back, I'm gonna go say goodbye to everyone." He started to get up but she put her hand on his arm, "No Luke, we should spend time with our family. I'll just lay on the couch for awhile. I'll be okay in a little bit," she responded as she shakily tried to stand. Her legs almost collapsed beneath her and Lucas gently picked her up in his arms. He carried her to the couch in the living room, his old bedroom long since converted to a playroom for the kids when she watched them. He carefully laid her down and brushed the hair out of her face, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead. "Be right back," he whispered.

Everyone looked at him concernedly when he reentered the dining room. "How is she," Karen asked. "She's not feeling well but she still wants to stay so I put her on the couch. Mom, where is the Tylenol?" "Kitchen, second cabinet on the left," she responded. "Thanks," he replied. Lucas returned to the living room with the Tylenol and a glass of water, "Here, take these." She placed one of the pills in her mouth and he lifted the glass to her lips, letting her drink some before doing the same again with the second pill. He set the glass of water on the coffee table and left, returning a few moments later with a damp washcloth, which he laid on her forehead. Lucas sat on the edge of the couch, rubbing her back in slow circles. Haley entwined her fingers with his and kissed his knuckles, pressing his hand against her cheek. He leaned down and softly brushed his lips over hers, tenderly kissing her.

Fifteen minutes later, Kyla walked in the living room to see Haley. Lucas looked up and smiled, lightly squeezing Haley's hand then placing it back on the couch as he stood and moved to the kitchen so Kyla could sit with her. "Hales, I am so sorry…" Kyla began, tears welling in her eyes, "I made you sick and to top it all off, I ruined your Thanksgiving too." "It's okay Ky," Haley responded hoarsely as she placed her hand on top of Kyla's. Kyla leaned down and gently wrapped her arms around her friend.

November changed into December and soon Christmas was in full swing. The town had been attacked with about a foot of snow and many kids were out with their friends and families, sledding or tobogganing down the small slopes of the hills. Lucas had strung lights around the outside of the apartment as well as the inside and both he and Haley had decorated the tree and put up various Christmas fanfare and memorabilia.

It was now Christmas morning and both Lucas and Haley were sleeping peacefully in their bed when Katie and Derek raced in, climbing onto the bed and bouncing on it excitedly. "Mommy, Daddy! Wake up! It's Christmas! We gotta open presents," Derek screamed. "Yeah Mommy, Daddy, wake up! I wanna open presents," Katie yelled. Both Haley and Lucas groaned as they woke to movement and high pitched screaming in close proximity. Haley looked at the clock and groaned again as she buried her head under the covers, "Guys, it's six am. Go back to sleep for another two hours then we'll have breakfast and open presents." "No Mommy, we wanna do it now," Derek whined. "We might as well get up. We're not going to get anywhere with them," Lucas mumbled into her shoulder.

"Fine," Haley sighed as she pushed back the covers and stood from the bed, putting on a pair of slippers and her bathrobe. "What do you guys want for breakfast," she asked her kids. "Pancakes," Derek shouted excitedly. "Waffles," Katie replied in the same tone. Lucas was still lying in bed as she walked out of the bedroom to the kitchen. "Lucas, get your butt out of bed and cook us some breakfast," she called out as she plopped down on the couch and covered herself with a blanket, closing her eyes. "Why do I have to cook," he asked when he appeared a few minutes later in a long sleeved shirt and flannel pajama pants, scratching his head. "Because I'm too tired and you cook better than me," she replied with her eyes still closed. Lucas laughed, "This coming from the woman who never fails to remind me of the one time I burned your macaroni and cheese." "It isn't that hard to make Lucas. All you have to do is bring the water to a boil, pour in the macaroni, let it cook for seven to ten minutes, drain it, put it in a bowl then add the cheese and a bit of milk. How can you make something so simple, so hard?" "Are you sure I won't burn the pancakes? Maybe you should make them. You know, just to make sure I don't burn the apartment down," he grinned. "Not a chance. I'm the sick one here, you have to take care of me," she replied in a childish voice. "I'll take care of you later tonight," he whispered against her lips as he leaned over her, a smirk on his face.

After breakfast and the ceremonial opening of presents, to which both Katie and Derek received a brand spanking new tricycle, a boat load of stuffed animals and toys, and some clothes as well, they all headed over to Karen's house for more presents then they returned home. While Derek and Katie napped, Haley and Lucas cozied up on the couch in front of the fire. He patted her leg, "Listen, later this afternoon my mom is coming to pick up the kids and they're going back to her house for the night; she wants to spend some more time with them. Since we won't have the kids tonight, how about we go out and have dinner, just the two of us? We haven't done that in a long time," he asked as he rubbed her shoulder. "That sounds great. Where do you want to go," Haley smiled. "Why don't you let me take care of the place and you worry about the dress," he grinned. "Aww, I have to wear a dress?" "Yes, it's a requirement to going out with me tonight," he replied. "What time are we going," she asked. Lucas looked at his watch, "Um, in about three hours, 5:00." "Ooh, I better start getting ready now," Haley jumped off the couch but Lucas grabbed her arm and pulled her back onto him, "Kiss first." She leaned down and softly pressed her lips to his, cupping his face in her hands. "Alright, now I really have to get ready," Haley said as she quickly pulled away. Lucas groaned, "You're killing me here, Hales." "Save it for later baby," she winked as she looked back at him then rushed to her bedroom to find the perfect dress.

Lucas escorted her into the restaurant and waited for the hostess to come back to the desk. "You look beautiful," he murmured in her ear. She was wearing a dark green v-neck halter dress that flowed down to her ankles with a pair of dangly emerald earrings and her hair down in soft, luscious curls. Lucas was dressed in a black pant suit with a maroon dress shirt. "Thank you," Haley blushed. The hostess appeared and Lucas said, "Lucas Scott, reservations for two." The woman nodded and led them back to a secluded section of the restaurant. A candle and a vase of small baby roses sat as centerpiece like many of the other tables. Lucas pulled a chair out for her and pushed it back in after she had sat down. He took a seat adjacent to her and began looking at his menu. "What are you going to get," he asked a few minutes later. "Um, I think I'm going to order the fettuccini alfredo with the shrimp. You," she inquired. "The Chicken Primavera looks good. I think I'll try that," he mused. She nodded her approval. Lucas called the waitress over and put in their orders.

As they ate, they shared small talk about the kids and various things like school and the café. They had just been give their dessert, Haley a piece of chocolate mousse cake and Lucas some apple pie, when he took her hand in his and kissed it, "I love you Haley." "I love you too, Luke," she smiled up at him then took another bite of her cake, "Mmm, this is so good. You should try this." "Hales, look at me," he said softly. "What," she looked at him concernedly. He entwined their fingers and stood from his chair, slowly getting down on one knee. He took her other hand into his free one. Tears began to roll down Haley's cheeks at the realization of what was happening. "Haley, you are the best thing that has ever happened to me. You have been my best friend for nearly twenty years even despite losing each other for five. I have loved you for so long and so much… it kills me to be one minute, one second without you. I think about you all the time; every minute of every day. I cannot think or imagine a day without you. I don't ever want to live my life without you. Haley James, love of my life, mother of my children, will you accept this ring as a token of my love and devotion to you, forever and always, by becoming my wife?"

Haley was almost full out sobbing by now, but she was crying silently. She stared at the beautiful ring. It was a beautiful three-stone diamond ring on a platinum band. She looked back up to his sparkling blue eyes and smiled, slowly nodding. "Yes," she whispered. He gave her a hundred watt smile as he took the ring from the box and placed it on her finger. He then leaned in and captured her lips in a passionate kiss.


	21. Chapter 21 True Love Always Wins Out

**Author's Note: **Hey guys, here's your chapter for today! It's kind of boring and mostly filler. It's been a long day, a lot of things going on at work so I didn't feel all that 'peppy' to write something more exciting so I just wrote something fun and a tad mushy. Anyways, I hope you like it! As always, please read and review!

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing. One Tree Hill and its characters are property of the WB.

**Rating: **K+ to T

**Finding Our Way Back **

**Chapter 21 – True Love Always Wins Out **

Lucas kissed her hand as they walked along the streets of Tree Hill, "I'm sorry. Ky kind of ruined the surprise with that comment back at Thanksgiving. I had planned on asking you at Christmas even before she said anything." "No, I was definitely surprised," she wrapped an arm around his torso and rested her head against his chest, leaning up on her tip toes to meet his mouth in a tender kiss. "When do you want to have the wedding," he asked a few moments later. "Getting a little ahead of yourself don't you think? We just got engaged," she giggled, happy at saying the word. Engaged. To Lucas Scott. She'd be Mrs. Haley Scott. She grinned wider. Haley Scott; it did have a nice ring to it. She glanced at her hand and smiled; definitely a nice ring.

"I've waited eighteen years to be with you, isn't that long enough," he asked with a chuckle. "True," she amended with a nod, "but I want to wait a little bit. I was thinking about a spring wedding. Maybe next April or May." Lucas' eyes widened, "NEXT April or May? I don't think I can wait that long. Maybe we should just elope." "Lucas Scott, no I will not elope! Your mother would be crushed! Besides, I meant this April or May. We don't have that much to plan anyway, we thought of all the important stuff when we were six years old. Remember that day, Luke," she smiled up at him. Lucas threw back his head and laughed as he recalled their conversation, "Yeah. Do you still have cooties?" "Love cooties. And I got them from you," she chuckled as she kissed him on the lips.

"Let me see the ring," Karen said excitedly when the couple entered the café the next morning. "You knew," Haley asked with wide eyes. "Of course. How do you think Luke got me to watch the kids on the night of Christmas Day? Naturally, I was curious why you two wouldn't want to spend time with them, especially because it was Christmas so of course I said yes when Lucas told me what he was going to do," Karen grinned. Haley showed her the ring with a big smile plastered on her face. "Oh, it's gorgeous," Karen gushed as she gazed at the ring then looked up at Haley, "honey, you're absolutely glowing." Haley blushed as she glanced at Lucas. Karen looked at her son, seeing the exchange. Her face scrunched in disgust, "Oh Luke, eww! Too much information for your mother to know!" "We didn't say anything, you just assumed," he replied. "Assumed? You mean you didn't-" "Well…" he began slowly with a small smile. "Stop right there! I don't want to hear any details," Karen covered her ears with her hands.

A few moments later, after Karen had decided it was safe enough to uncover her ears, she hugged her son then Haley. "Congratulations, you two. It's about damn time you got your act together. I've been waiting sixteen years for this." "Sixteen years, Mom," Lucas questioned. "What? I knew you two were destined to be together the day you became friends," Karen smiled. "Well, would it have killed you to knock some sense into us so we could've gotten together sooner," Lucas asked. "The course of true love never runs smooth but true love always wins out," she said simply then replied, "besides, if I had intervened and you'd gotten together earlier, you wouldn't have Katie and Derek and I wouldn't have my grandchildren."

"So Luke finally stepped up," Kyla shrieked when she saw the diamond ring shining from her finger, "I knew it! My master plan worked! I got Lucas to propose to you!" "Sorry to burst your bubble Ky, but Luke had this all planned even before the little comment you made at Thanksgiving that nearly made me die of respiratory failure," Haley grinned cheekily at her. Kyla pouted, "You just couldn't give me one minute of glory, could you?" "Nope," Haley replied. "So how'd he do it? How did he propose," Kyla asked interestedly as she leaned forward in her chair, closer to Haley as if they were sharing a juicy secret.

"Our family is too much," Haley sighed as she sank down onto the couch. Lucas, who was sitting in an armchair reading the newspaper, lowered the paper and raised an eyebrow in questioning. "Kyla and Karen gabbed my ears off all day and I could hardly get a word in edgewise. They're planning this wedding without us and we're the ones getting married," Haley responded as she rubbed her temples. She had a headache. All that talking nonstop for hours drove her mind wild. "They're just excited and happy for us Hales," he replied as he stood and took a seat beside her, "You feeling alright?" "Yeah, I just have a bad headache. My sinuses are acting up again. My eyes are watering like crazy, my nose is runny, I keep sneezing, and I keep throwing up more now, which is probably from all this cold weather. I've never been so sick this long before. It's driving me nuts." "Why don't I start you a warm bubble bath, it'll help you relax," he offered as he brushed some hair away from her face.

She cupped his face in her hands and pressed her lips to his, stroking his cheek softly, "You're so good to me Luke." "I know," he grinned murmuring against her mouth, "that's why you're marrying me." She chuckled as she pulled him up off the couch and while Haley went to go grab her bathrobe, Lucas started the water in the tub, adding the bubbles. Haley returned and wrapped her arms around his waist, tilting her head up and placing a gentle kiss on his mouth, "Join me." He smiled and shed his clothes, stepping into the warm water and easing himself down until he leaned against the back of the bathtub. Haley followed suit and sat between his legs. Lucas ran the washcloth over her back then her shoulders, letting the warm water run down her skin. He began to gently massage her back, trying to release the tension from her muscles. "Mmm, that feels good," Haley murmured as she leaned forward, her eyes closed. She was beginning to fall asleep. Lucas carefully got out of the tub and picked her up, wrapping her in a large towel. After he dried her off, he helped her slip on her bathrobe before carrying her to the bed, laying her down and pulling the covers over her. He crawled in beside her and she snuggled into him, resting her head on his chest. Haley traced his jaw with her finger slowly before pressing her lips softly to his, "I love you." He stroked her hair and rubbed her back, returning the kiss, "I love you too Hales." "It's been a long day and I'm tired, let's call it a night," she murmured as she closed her eyes and placed her head back on his chest. "Whatever you say Mrs. Scott," Lucas smiled as he too closed his eyes. Haley chuckled, "You're darn right Mr. Scott."


	22. Chapter 22 Protecting Family

**Author's Note:** Hey guys! Sorry you didn't get a chapter yesterday. I had written some of it, but I was just dog tired and I couldn't finish it, I had to go to bed and get some sleep. Anyways, it's a little bit longer than the usual chapter. I hope you like it! As always, please read and review!

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. One Tree Hill and its characters are property of the WB.

**Rating:** K+ to T

**Spoiler for next chapter:** When you're in Tree Hill, you life is never without drama. Beware! (Okay, I know that was a bad spoiler, but forgive me, I'm not really that good with them as you can tell.)

**Finding Our Way Back**

**Chapter 22 – Protecting Family**

New Year's came and went and both Haley and Lucas returned to the school. With the beginning of a new year came the new semester, meaning new students. All except for one class, that is. Haley's second hour English class was her only Advanced English class so that one lasted all year long. For this, Haley was glad because this was one of her best classes.

"Welcome back for the second semester of Advanced English III. How was everyone's winter break," she greeted her students with a smile once the final bell had rung and they had settled into their seats. Many kids responded with enthusiastic responses and descriptions of their winter trips and what they did with their families and friends over the two blissful weeks of vacation. Blissful. Haley could agree with that. She smiled as she thought of Christmas Day, or Christmas Night rather, when Lucas had proposed. A light pink tint rose to her cheeks.

"So Ms. James, what did you do over Christmas break? Did you go anywhere, do anything," Heather asked. "No, I didn't really do anything or go anywhere for Christmas. All my family is here in Tree Hill so the kids and I stayed home. We went sledding a little bit, but we mostly stayed inside because of my bronchitis. I didn't want to make it worse. So yeah, I just basically hung out around here the whole two weeks and spent time with my family," Haley responded as she brushed a piece of hair out of the way with her left hand. One of the girls gasped and pointed, "Oh my god! You got married!" Haley looked at her hand and smiled, then replied, "Engaged actually." There were hoots and hollers of congratulations and joyous high-pitched giggling from the girls as they all rushed up to Haley to see the ring. "Finally," Heather called out from her desk as she threw up her hands into the air. She didn't want to have to squish between all those kids to see the ring; she could always see it later. "Heather," Haley exclaimed, laughing.

"Hello Mrs. Scott," Lucas smiled as he sidled up to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulder as she walked down the empty hallway to the teachers lounge to eat lunch. "Hey Mr. Scott," she grinned back, curling her arm around his back. "How has your day been going," he asked. "It's been okay. Busy. I wish all my classes were a year long that way I wouldn't have to teach the same curriculum all over again the next semester like I have to now with my regular English students." "Think of it this way, by having the classes only be one semester, you meet and get to know more students and help better improve their lives, therefore having a bigger impact on people's lives than you would if you had all year-long classes," Lucas reasoned. Haley leaned up and gave him a light peck on the lips, "You always know what to say to make me feel better or make me look at things from a different perspective."

Haley was sitting at her desk during her last period for the day, her History class, as the students read up on the American Revolution. The phone rang and she answered it, half expecting it to be Lucas, "Hello?" "Ms. James," the voice asked. "Yes, this is Ms. James," Haley responded confusedly, "May I ask who is calling?" "This is Mrs. Jones from Tree Hill Elementary School. We seem to have a situation concerning your children…" Before the woman could continue, Haley responded quickly fearing one of them had gotten hurt, "I'll be right there." She quickly hung up. Haley forgot all logic and reason as she rushed next door to Mr. Howard's classroom, who had a prep this hour, and asked him to watch her class. She then called the front office to let them know what was going on then gathered up her things and left the school. Through all this, she had even forgotten to call Lucas.

"Where are my babies? What happened? I want to see my kids," Haley asked frantically as she rushed into the office at Tree Hill Elementary School. "Ms. James, I presume," the receptionist asked. "Yes, yes. Where are my kids? Are they alright? How bad are they hurt?" "Ms. James, please calm down. They're okay. The principal just wanted to talk to you concerning a situation that happened today and Derek's behavior," the woman replied. "Then why did Katie get called in too," she asked confusedly, wondering what had happened to get her kids called to the principal's office. They were good kids; what could have gone wrong? "She was involved in the matter," the receptionist replied with a lazy drawl. Haley rolled her eyes and huffed in exasperation. She hated it when people were vague and uncaring to divulge important information. Important information about her kids as to why they were sent up to the principal's office.

"Where are they," Haley asked again. "Around the corner to your left," the woman pointed. Haley turned on her heel and walked off in the direction she had indicated. "Mommy," Derek exclaimed when he saw her and he slipped from the bench, racing over to her, Katie following hot on his heels. Haley crouched down in front of them and wrapped her arms around them tightly, thankful they were not hurt, "Hey babies." She hugged them for a few more moments before standing up and taking their hands leading them back to the bench. She sat with them on the bench and she turned to Derek, "D, what happened today? Why did you get sent to the principal's office?"

"Me and Katie were playing in the sand, building castles and digging holes with the bucket and shovel and the holey thingy. Then Bobby Masters came over and he wanted the shovel and Katie was playing with it. He didn't even ask, Mommy. He pulled Katie's hair and she screamed and started crying so I pushed him. He fell back into the sand. He hurt Katie, Mommy, Bobby Masters is a bully," Derek explained. Haley turned to her daughter and stroked her hair then kissed the top of her head, "Are you okay sweetie?" Katie nodded, "Derek protected me. He's the best brother ever! Even if he was born four minutes younger than me." She wrapped her arms around Derek and hugged him. "Because you're family and we always have to protect our family," Derek replied as he hugged her back. Haley shook her head as she smiled in amazement. Derek was so smart and insightful for a five year old. He probably got it from his father. It sounded something like Lucas would say.

She crouched down in front of them again, "Derek, while I am proud of you for protecting your sister, we do not use violence to solve our problems, okay? That means we don't push, hit, kick, or otherwise touch them to hurt them, alright? If Bobby or anyone else bothers you or Katie, you go tell a teacher, don't try to take care of it on your own. That goes for you too, Katie," Haley stated. "Yes Mommy," the pair replied. "Ms. James," the principal asked as he opened the door to his office. "Yes," she responded. He gestured inside, "Would you please step into my office?" She nodded and followed him in. As she sat down in one of the chairs, oddly she felt like she was a little kid again and she'd gotten into trouble like one of the times Lucas and Haley had heard the ice cream truck and tried to escape the school to go get some Fudgesicles. She hadn't always been the goody-goody she had always portrayed herself as in high school when she was younger. In fact, she had been quite the terror in her early years, her mother would often tell her. And paired up with Lucas? It was Luke and Hales, the Terrible Two, as Karen would call them throughout their young childhood.

The principal settled into his desk chair and leaned back, clasping his hands. "Ms. James, you are aware of the situation, I presume," he asked. "Yes, I have spoken with my kids and they told me what happened," Haley nodded. "We do not tolerate violence in our school, Ms. James," he began and when Haley tried to interrupt, he raised his hand, "however, this is the first time we have had any trouble with your children and it was technically not their fault because Bobby Masters provoked the reaction by pulling Katie's hair. I assure you that Bobby Masters and his parents have been spoken to." "I have talked to my kids as well and told them that if they ever have any trouble, to tell a teacher. There shouldn't be any more problems. If there is, please let me know," Haley responded politely. "I will," the principal finally smiled, "you can take your children home now Ms. James. Let me walk you out." He stood and held open the door for her. Katie and Derek were still waiting on the bench. "Come on kids, let's go home," she held out her arms and picked up Derek then took Katie's hand and led them out of the school.

Haley was sitting on the couch grading papers when Lucas rushed in, a scared look in his eyes. "Hey, I came to your class after last period but Mr. Jones was in there and he told me that you'd had an emergency with the kids at the school. Are they alright," he asked worriedly as he sat down beside her. Haley pulled off her reading glasses and sighed, rubbing the space between her eyes, "Yeah." "What happened," he inquired. "Some kid bully pulled Katie's hair and Derek pushed him. He didn't get hurt, but he had a little talking to with the principal, as did I," she replied. "You okay," his forehead wrinkled in concern. She was still rubbing her forehead. "Yeah, I just have a headache. Today's just been a really hard day," she sighed. "Come here," he held out his arms for her to enter. She set aside the stack of papers and her glasses and snuggled up to him, resting her head on his chest and her right hand over his heart. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head, "I love you." "Love you too," she mumbled, beginning to fall asleep. He adjusted himself and Haley as he laid back on the couch his head on the armrest and Haley lying comfortably next to him, stroking her hair. Slowly, he began to feel sleepy too and he closed his eyes.


	23. Chapter 23 The Line In Between

**Author's Note: **Hey guys! Sorry there haven't been any updates for a few days. I just needed a break and had some other things to get done. To make up for the wait, here's a longer chapter for you all. Next I will be working on TSS so keep a look out for an update soon. I hope you guys like this chapter! As always, please read and review!

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing. One Tree Hill and its characters are property of the WB.

**Rating: **K+ to T

**Finding Our Way Back **

**Chapter 23 – The Line In Between **

"Hey Hales, you want your usual? Coffee and apple Danish," Karen asked when Haley entered and sat at the counter. Haley sneezed and wiped her nose with a tissue, "No, I think I'm going to go for a tall glass of orange juice and some toast. I need to keep my Vitamin C up in this cold weather. I hate being sick." She plopped down onto a stool after removing her jacket, wrapping her button down sweater tighter around her, trying to get warm. "You're still sick," she asked concernedly as she poured her some orange juice, "You're taking antibiotics, aren't you? They're not helping?" Haley shrugged, "Yeah, I'm taking antibiotics but I've been taking them for so long now that they're not as effective; they're losing their kick." "You should go see your doctor Hales. Ask him for a stronger antibiotic," Karen replied. "I will," Haley responded, "it's flu season so I'm sure he's up to his ears in appointments." "You should do it soon though, no use being miserable when you can feel better," Karen reasoned. "I know," Haley responded as she took a bite of her toast then looked at her watch, "Oh, I have to get going. Can't be late to work." Haley stood and put on her jacket then grabbed her work bag. "You don't want your toast? You hardly ate anything," Karen replied concernedly. Haley wrinkled her nose, "I'm just not hungry today, I guess. My stomach's a little queasy. I think it's these antibiotics the doctor's got me on. I've been sick and throwing up ever since I started taking them." Karen rubbed her shoulder, "I'm sorry honey. You should really get that medicine changed if it's making you so sick like this." Haley nodded and looked at her watch again, "Okay, I really have to go now. See you later Karen." "Bye honey," Karen waved as Haley walked out of the café.

As Haley walked down the hallway of the school, Lucas spotted her and caught up, wrapping an arm around her waist. "Hey babe," he greeted her with a kiss on her forehead then gazed at her worriedly, "you look a little green and pale. You feeling alright? The antibiotics making you sick again?" She nodded and rested her head on his shoulder but only for a moment because she had to get to class. "Love you. I'll see you later," she gave him a light kiss on the lips.

"Okay class, since we have all finished the book, we will begin a series of small projects related to the book and what we have read. These projects will last us until about two or three weeks from now, where you will all write your essays on heroism. They may be done in groups or individually. I will give you guys a few minutes to get into your groups and then I will explain what you have to do for the first project," Haley told her second hour Advanced English students. While she waited, she replied back to a few emails some of the other teachers had sent her and graded some papers from her first hour English class. After about ten minutes, she stood from her desk to address her class. As she stood from her chair, Haley felt a little dizzy. She placed one hand on the edge of her desk to steady herself and the other hand to her forehead. "You alright Ms. James," Laura asked concernedly. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just give me a moment," Haley replied as she thought, _'Enough time to get the room to stop spinning.' _

She finally walked to the front of the room a few minutes later to explain the instructions and what the project was to her class. "Now that you're all into groups, what we are going to do is each group will receive a piece of white poster board. First, I want you all to think of all the books you've read in this class so far, but more so this book than the others, and brainstorm what you think makes up a good hero; this includes traits and characteristics that demonstrate and explain how he or she is a hero. You may draw pictures or I have magazines if you want to cut out stuff to add to the poster because if you're like me, I can't draw worth my life. I will have markers and colored pencils out so you can make it colorful. Also, on the back of your posters, I want you each to put your name and who your hero is. It can be whoever you want it to be, but they have to be real; no cartoon characters or superman or anybody like that. You will have today and tomorrow to complete the project and we will present them on Wednesday. Okay guys, now start discussing and brainstorming your ideas," Haley instructed as she went back to sit at her desk.

Haley nibbled on a few crackers as she resumed grading papers from her first hour. Her stomach felt queasy again. Maybe it was because she was hungry; she hadn't had anything to eat all day except that bite or two of toast and the orange juice at the café. She pulled out a small bowl of mixed fruit from her lunch bag and pried the lid open. She began to eat and a few minutes later, just as she was about to bite into a strawberry, Haley felt the food coming back up at her. She quickly covered her hand over her mouth and rushed out of the classroom. Luckily for her, a staff bathroom was just across the hall.

It was nearly fifteen to twenty minutes later when she was finally able to raise her head from the toilet and not throw up. She had never felt so sick before, even with all the coughing and other symptoms she had had in the past couple months because of the Bronchitis and the flu. It was even worse because she had hardly anything in her stomach and the retching just made her throat even more sore from the acidic bile rising from her throat. She cleaned herself up and tried to look at least semi-presentable again then she trudged from the bathroom. She knew she couldn't go on teaching like this, feeling so horrible, so she headed up to the front office to tell the receptionist she needed to go home. "Hey Sandy," Haley greeted the woman in a hoarse voice from the soreness. Sandy looked up from her papers and her smile faded slightly as she took in Haley's state. She stated concernedly, "You feeling okay Haley?" Haley shook her head and decided that wasn't the best thing to do; her head pounded even more and she felt dizzy again. "No, I'm really not feeling well. I've felt really bad all day. I just spent like twenty minutes throwing up in the bathroom and I've been dizzy too. I probably shouldn't have even come to work today. I just wanted to let you know that I need to go home and to get one of the English teachers on prep to supervise the rest of my classes or call in a sub." "Okay Haley, go home and get some rest. I hope you feel better," Sandy replied with a sympathetic smile. "Me too," Haley replied as she walked out of the front office and returned to her classroom.

"Are you alright Ms. James," Heather asked concernedly as Haley reentered the room. "No, I'm not feeling very well so I'm going to go home and rest. I want you all to continue working on your poster projects for the rest of today and tomorrow as well since it looks like I might not be here tomorrow. I will have you all present the projects on Thursday. Okay, I will see all of you on Thursday. Bye guys," Haley replied as she waved to the class. "I hope you feel better Ms. James," Heather replied and many of the other students voiced the same sentiments.

Lucas blew his whistle and called the team over for a talk. "Okay guys, we have a game coming up and I've noticed that some of you tire a bit early so we're going to work on our stamina a little bit. You all know what that means," Lucas replied as he nodded towards the line bordering the court. "Suicides," they groaned as they jogged to the line and stood side by side to each other. Lucas had hated suicides back when Whitey had been coaching, but he had to admit, it did help him in his game and he was able to last longer without getting tired as fast. The boys did that for about thirty minutes until Lucas finally blew his whistle again and told them to cool down slowly by walking it off and jogging so as not to hurt their muscles by cramping up. He then told them to hit the showers and they were allowed to go home. Lucas stayed in his office for another hour and a half, going over plays for the upcoming game and watching video tapes of past games to see what else needed to be worked on. He sighed as he shut off the television and rubbed his eyes; he was dog tired. He just wanted to go home and hold Haley in his arms, kiss her, and go to sleep. Maybe this bug Haley had, had gotten to him as well. He hoped not; he needed to stay well for the game next week. He gathered his things and locked the door to the office and headed out to his car.

Lucas unlocked the front door to the apartment and pushed it open, calling out as he entered, "Haley? Hey Hales, you home?" There came no answer so he deduced that she wasn't home yet. Probably still at the school grading papers. He grabbed a towel from the linen closet and went to the bathroom to take a shower. He flicked on the light and was he saw concerned and worried him greatly. Haley was huddled on the floor with her legs pulled close to her chest and her head resting on her knees with her back against the side of the bathtub. She was crying, no, sobbing. "Hales? What's wrong," Lucas asked gently as he crouched down beside her and stroked her hair. She flinched at his touch but otherwise did not move a muscle and her sobs only seemed to get louder. "Haley sweetie, tell me what's wrong, please," Lucas begged, becoming more worried by the second as he lightly touched her arm and she quickly moved it away from him.

"I don't want to talk about it right now," she snapped in a trembling voice, her head still buried in her thighs. He sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. What could have Haley so upset, he wondered. "But you'll tell me later, right," he questioned. She nodded slowly then responded, her voice wavering, "C-Can you please just go? I-I want to be alone right now." "Sure," he replied uncertainly. He wanted to stay with her and comfort her, find out what was wrong, but he knew it would be in his best interest if he left her alone for a little while so she could sort things out. He looked at his watch; it was almost time to go pick the kids up from Kyla's place. He might as well get them early and bring them home, he decided. He picked up his keys and headed out to his car.

When Lucas arrived home from picking up the kids, Katie and Derek went to play in their room while he fixed dinner. In the kitchen he found a note on the counter. _Went for a drive. _Lucas sighed; ever since he had found Haley in the bathroom, he had been worried about what was bothering her, why she had been sobbing so forcefully when he found her. _'Maybe a drive will clear her head,' _he thought to himself. Once Katie and Derek were fed and they had run off back to their room to play before bedtime, Lucas remembered that trash pickup was tomorrow and it had yet to be taken out. So he went around tall all the different rooms, gathering cans and garbage to take out.

Lucas went into the bathroom and picked up the trash can to take out to the big garbage can for tomorrow. His eyes widened as they fell on a box in the bag and, reading the label, he gasped. He quickly set the can down and snatched the box from it. He cautiously tilted the box in his hand and a stick slid onto his palm. He looked at it closely as he gulped and tried hard to swallow the solid lump in his throat. Clear as day, there was a thin blue line in between the edges of the screen of the stick.


	24. Chapter 24 Running Scared

**Author's Note: **Hey guys! Sorry you had to wait a couple days for this update. I knew what I wanted to write but had trouble finding the right words to put it in so it took me a little longer to write it up. It's kind of a crappy chapter, but I couldn't think of any other way to put it. Anyways, I hope you like it! As always, please read and review!

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing. One Tree Hill and its characters are property of the WB.

**Rating: **K+ to T

**Finding Our Way Back**

**Chapter 24 – Running Scared **

Lucas still stood there with the pregnancy test in his hands, staring at it, as a flood of emotions overwhelmed him. Shock, joy, worry, scared, just to name a few. He was worried about why she was crying. She had definitely not been letting loose happy tears when he found her in the bathroom. Lucas wondered what was so wrong that caused her to be so upset. They were having a baby together. What could be happier than that?

Haley drove aimlessly around town for awhile and it was a good thing that it was late at night so hardly anybody was out and about because she wasn't really paying attention to the road, just lost in her thoughts. Well, in a trance really, still in a state of shock from seeing that blue line in the screen of the pregnancy test. She was still sobbing as she drove and it was a wonder she didn't drive herself into a light pole or something because of the massive amount of tears falling from her eyes in quick succession blurring her vision. She sat at a stoplight, waiting for the red to turn green. She couldn't do this right now. She couldn't go home to Lucas and face him. She needed to get away. The light finally changed and she moved forward further down Main Street, passing the large sign that said ' Leaving Tree Hill, North Carolina'.

Lucas woke to the sun's bright rays shining down on his face and he winced in pain at the crick in his neck from sleeping in an awkward position in the armchair. He had tried to wait up for Haley when she came back, but he had been so tired that he must have conked out. He stood from the chair and rubbed his neck for a moment, trying to pop it to get the kinks out, before heading to the bedroom to see if Haley had returned. The bed was still made from the day before. He sighed as he rubbed his forehead, tears welling behind his eyes. Where was she? A thought came to mind. Maybe she'd gone to Kyla's place. He quickly grabbed the phone and dialed her number.

"Somebody better be dead or seriously hurt and if not, you will be," Kyla grumbled as she peeked one eye open to look at the clock, which read 6:21 a.m. "Ky, is she there? Is Haley there? Please let me talk to her," Lucas responded, fright and panic in his voice. Kyla sat up straight in bed, "Lucas, she's not here. What happened? Did you two have a fight?" "N-No. I came home from work yesterday and I found her crying in the bathroom…she said she wanted to be alone for awhile so I came to pick up the kids and when I got back, she was gone. She left a note saying that she'd gone for a drive. I went to take out the trash last night and I-I found a pregnancy test… She's pregnant, Ky. She didn't come home last night and I-I don't know where she is," Lucas wiped his eyes with the back of his hand as tears fell down his cheeks. Kyla heaved a sigh as her shoulders sank and she closed her eyes, "She's running. Like she did last time..." "But why? We're happy together. Why would she run away," Lucas asked confusedly, his heart breaking. "I don't know," Kyla responded then said in a whisper, "maybe she's scared."

Haley drove all night and well into the next morning, no set destination in mind. She was basically on autopilot; wherever her hands steered the wheel, she would go. Her cell phone rang where it lay in the seat beside her, breaking her from her thoughts. She picked it up and looked at the screen. _Lucas_. She ignored the call and turned her phone off, tossing it back onto the passenger seat.

Lucas sighed as he hung up the phone; she hadn't answered. He wondered where she was, if she was alright. He needed to talk to her. He felt a tug on his pants and looked down then kneeled on the floor to his son's level. "Hey buddy," Lucas responded as he hugged him. "Daddy, where's Mommy," he asked. Lucas sat on the floor and pulled his son onto his lap, trying to find the right words to say to him in the process. "Mommy went on a little vacation. She'll be back soon," he responded, hoping what he said was true. She just had to come back. "Why didn't she take us with her," he inquired as he looked up at his father. "She just needed some time alone, that's all. She needed a little break. Hey D, is your sister up?" "No, she's still sleeping," he replied. "Why don't you go wake her up and you two get dressed for school while I cook breakfast, alright?" Derek nodded then retreated back the bedroom he shared with Katie to wake her up.

Lucas picked up the phone again as he dialed the number for the school so he could call in sick for Haley. He didn't want to tell them that she'd run off somewhere and didn't know when she'd be back; she'd definitely lose her job. " Tree Hill High School, this is Sandy. How may I help you," the receptionist replied. "Hey Sandy, it's Lucas Scott. I just wanted to let you know that Haley won't be coming in today. She's feeling really sick and just doesn't feel too well. She would have called in herself, but she just fell back asleep about an hour or two ago and I didn't want to wake her." "Oh the poor dear. She was just having a horrible time of it yesterday. Told me she had to leave her class to go throw up in the bathroom for nearly twenty minutes and went home early. Tell Haley to get some rest and that I hope she feels better soon," the woman replied sympathetically. "I will. Bye Sandy," Lucas replied. She returned the farewell and he hung up the phone. Now he had to cook breakfast and take the kids to school before going to school himself.

Haley stared up at the tall building in front of her. She had been surprised when she found herself parking her car in the parking lot of the building she'd lived in for five years. Yes, she was back in New York. She didn't know what had compelled her to come here. Maybe it was because she had come here when she found out she was pregnant the first time. Maybe she was scared; scared of how Lucas would react. It hadn't gone well the first time she had told him he had kids. They'd fought, he'd yelled, she'd cried; it had been one big roller coaster ride of emotions.

She slowly ascended the stone steps to the doors of her old apartment building. She rang the buzzer for the landlord and a few minutes later, Haley's old landlord, a sweet old woman named Lilly Cox, appeared at the doors. The old woman smiled when she saw her old tenant, "Why Haley James, what a surprise. It is so good to see you." The two women hugged. "Hey Lilly," Haley responded with a smile of her own. "What brings you back here? How are you doing? Where are the twins," Lilly bombarded her with questions. Back when she'd lived here, Haley and Lilly had been good friends and when Kyla couldn't watch the kids, Lilly would often watch them for her while she worked. "Case of nostalgia, I guess," she supplied with a weak smile, "The kids are great. They're back home with their father. I was just remembering all the years we lived here and I guess I needed to see it. Has anybody else rented it?" Lilly shook her head, "No, it's still available. No one else has occupied it since you left." "Can I see it," Haley asked hopefully, her voice low, almost a whisper. "Of course dear. You're always welcome here," the woman smiled as she led her up the stairs to her old apartment.

Lilly unlocked the door with a set of keys and pushed it open for her as Haley slowly stepped forward into the home she'd spent five years living in. So many memories were held here. Tears fell down her cheeks as she gazed around the empty room and bare walls, imagining the way it used to look; pictures on the wall, Derek and Katie's toys spread all over the floor. The old sofa that was so sunk in that it was like a bucket seat, the tattered leather armchair from when Derek had once tried to use his Wolverine claws on it and ripped the material. She could see the pictures on the mantle; the ones of her and the kids, of Ky and herself, Ky and the kids, Haley holding Katie and Derek the day they were brought home… Fresh tears came to her eyes. She finally turned to Lilly, wiping her eyes before doing so. "C-Can I stay here for a few days? I know it's only a few days, but I can give you some money for staying here…" She was stopped from digging in her purse for her wallet by Lilly placing her hand on her arm. "I don't want your money sweetie. Like I said before, you're welcome here whenever and for as long as you like," she smiled as she handed the key to the apartment over to her, "there isn't a bed or anything, but I can get you one…" "No, it's fine," Haley assured her, "thank you Lilly. You don't know how much this means to me." She hugged the woman and she finally left, leaving Haley staring around the apartment again.

It was dark by the time Haley finally returned to her car. She was thankful that she kept two pillows and a large, thick comforter in her car for when Katie or Derek wanted to nap during a car ride. She pulled them from the trunk and lugged them up the steps and back into the apartment. She formed sort of a sleeping bag with the comforter, laying half of it for padding on the floor and curling the other half around her body. She began to cry again; she was just one big emotional train wreck. She hated feeling so out of control like this. She pulled the comforter tighter around her body and curled her legs as close to her body as she could, forming a ball. "I'm sorry baby. I just can't handle this right now…" she sobbed into her pillow, soaking it with her tears. She cried herself to sleep in the middle of her old living room floor that night.


	25. Chapter 25 My Previous Life Is In the Pa

**Author's Note: **Hey guys! Sorry for such a long wait for the next chapter. I was having major writer's block and couldn't figure out what to write. But surprisingly, once I started typing the words just flew out and this is one of the longest chapters of this story! It's kind of boring and dull but that was due to my lack of inspiration. You can all thank Lin for this chapter because she kept bugging and pestering me about it. :P Love ya babe! Anyways, I hope you like it! As always, please read and review!

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing. One Tree Hill and its characters are property of the WB.

**Rating: **K+ to T

**Finding Our Way Back **

**Chapter 25 – My Previous Life Is In the Past **

Haley woke the next morning to bright sunlight shining through the large windows. Haley slowly stood and stretched to get the kinks out. Surprisingly, she had slept pretty well last night despite being on the floor. She had finally fallen asleep late last night out of pure exhaustion from the past two days and from crying so much. Haley was suddenly hit with a wave of nausea and took a step back to steady herself from feeling the dizziness in her head. She quickly rushed to the bathroom and threw open the toilet lid, collapsing to the floor as she emptied what little contents were left in her stomach since she hadn't eaten since yesterday afternoon.

After about fifteen minutes she finally stood on shaky legs and moved back into the living room, using the walls and ledges to help steady her. She crossed her arms over her chest as she looked out the large bay window, admiring the beautiful scenery. She loved the view from here; it was one of the reasons she'd gotten this apartment. It had a great view of Central Park just a block or two away and she could see the small beautiful lake and some boats sailing through the crystal blue waters. She and Ky had taken the kids to Central Park almost every day since they were born and allowed to go outside and even during her pregnancy. They would walk through the park or lie down on the lush green grass as they stared up at the sky or sat up and read books or talked. When the kids were older, they would go to play on the jungle gym or at the basketball courts, but they were often occupied by older kids so they were content with just bouncing their basketball on the concrete of the sidewalk as they strolled through the park. Katie and Derek would sometimes bring along their little motor boats and race them against each other in the water. Surprisingly, Katie won just as many times as Derek did. They had probably gained so much dexterity in the hands from playing the PlayStation to easily manipulate the controls of the motor boats on the remotes they used.

She loved the park; it was so beautiful and it amazed her every time she went there. Haley sighed again as her stomach began to grumble in hunger. She laughed at how ironic it was that not five minutes ago she'd been throwing up and now her stomach was rumbling again, asking for food that would most likely come up later. She suddenly had the urge for a chili dog and had absolutely no reason why. Of course she knew it was the cravings but a chili dog for breakfast at nine in the morning? Not the best choice of food. However, she decided that she would give in to her hunger cravings and get the chili dog. If her cravings got satisfied then she was satisfied too; that was how it worked with her and pregnancy. She would be at the mercy of her body and unborn child until the day that child came out into the world.

Haley bundled up in her large winter coat and wrapped it tightly around her. She would need to get some heavier clothing. It was winter in New York after all and one of the coldest ones yet. She cursed herself silently for not packing a bag of warmer clothes. She had made a rash decision though, heat of the moment. She'd been driving around Tree Hill and suddenly felt that she needed to get away. She she'd put her foot on the gas and drove out of town, not putting a thought to anything else because of the shocked state she was in about the news she'd just received. She didn't know how long she was going to stay here; it was a mystery to her. She hated dumping him with the kids like that and making him take care of them all by himself, but she needed to think and sort out everything she was feeling and adjust to the news of being pregnant again. She couldn't do that with work and the kids, and especially with Luke there. She had reverted back to her former eighteen year old self when she first found out she was pregnant. She was scared and didn't know what to do. She didn't know how to tell Lucas or how he'd react. They had only found each other seven months ago and been together for six months and now she was pregnant? It was so soon. Things were moving so fast.

She was interrupted from her thoughts by another loud grumble from her stomach. Haley sighed as she grabbed her keys and locked the door behind her as she trudged down the stairs and stepped out into the cold winter morning. Haley took and deep breath and she shivered as the frosty air filled her lungs and spread through her body. She walked quickly towards the park, trying to keep her body warm. Haley knew there was a really good hot dog stand in the park. She'd often take the kids there after playing or when they got hungry. They had the best chili dogs for miles around. She found the stand quickly; it was in the same place it always had been. She ordered one then went to a nearby bench to eat. She smiled as she took in the delicious aroma, savoring it for a few moments, before she took a bite. Haley groaned as she tasted it in her mouth, her taste buds assaulted by the wonderful food she hadn't had in so long a time.

After she finished eating, Haley began to stroll through the large park, admiring the beautiful scenery. The trees were bare but a light snow had fallen the night before, covering the ground in a blanket of white. Parents sat on benches by the playground as they watched their children play. Little kids bundled up in jackets and heavy clothing so far to the point that their rosy red cheeks and cherry button nose were all you could see. The lake had frozen over so many people had unearthed their skates from the back of a closet and now glided gracefully over the smooth ice. Well, some were. Haley watched as a little boy who had fallen on the ice was helped up by a young girl about his age. She smiled as she remembered times like those. Winters where she and Lucas would go ice skating but he fell a lot of the time until she actually taught him how to skate.

She heard a noise and turned her head to see a small girl about Katie's age run back to her mother, giggling happily. Haley sank down onto a nearby bench and buried her head in her hands, beginning to cry. How would Katie and Derek react to the news of another sibling? They were used to having all the attention to themselves. What would they think, feel, when the baby came? Her pregnancy would limit her too. She wouldn't be able to run around and play with them like she usually did. She wouldn't be able to pick them up later in her pregnancy because they were getting heavy in her arms even now and heavy lifting was on the 'Do Not Do While Pregnant' list. She would get tired more easily leaving less time for her to spend with them. Time was limited as it was with work and grading papers and Lucas having practices and games with the basketball team. Haley began to cry harder. Was she really right in having this baby? Should she really bring another baby into their already chaotic lives?

Haley was so confused about what she should do. She needed to talk to someone and that person definitely wouldn't be Lucas. He didn't even know about the pregnancy yet. She needed a woman to woman talk. Well, Karen was out. It was hitting too close to home. Kyla. She would be able to help her. They had been through this before with Haley's first pregnancy. She'd had doubts that she would be able to take care of a baby, attend college, and hold a job all at once. Babies were needy and time consuming; they would cry at all hours of the night; she wouldn't get any sleep or homework done. Her grades would slip, she'd have to drop out and end up at some McDonald's for the rest of her life saying, "Would you like fries with that?" Haley shuddered at the thought. In the end, she'd decided to keep her baby, then knowing that she was only having one. The baby was a part of her, a part of Lucas, and she was too much in love with him to do that to him. She knew that Dan had wanted Karen to get an abortion when he found out she was pregnant. She knew it pained him greatly that his own father hadn't wanted him to live, even though his father was an ass and had refused to accept him as his son.

Haley sniffled as she wiped the tears from her face. She still needed to talk to someone. She needed reassurance that everything would be alright. That Lucas would be accepting of the news and not yell at her, that Katie and Derek would adapt to having a new sibling in the house, that she would be able to handle everything that was going on in their lives and the coming months. Pregnancy hadn't been an easy time for her the first round, but she'd been having twins then. Hopefully it wouldn't be as bad the second time. She wasn't good at dealing with stress and stress definitely wasn't good for the baby. She slowly stood from the bench and headed back to the apartment so she could call Kyla.

She settled down on the comforter after she had retrieved her cell phone from her car. She turned it on and saw that she had ten voicemail messages. Probably all of them were from Lucas. She slowly dialed Kyla's phone number as tears welled in her eyes again. She needed to hear Kyla's soothing voice, her rational mind, her reassurance. What she really needed was a hug. Already she was out of control with her emotions and she hated that feeling. She knew the mood swings weren't far behind.

Kyla answered several rings later and before the woman on the other end of the line could say anything, Haley said shakily, "K-Ky?" "Haley, oh my god! Lucas, Karen, and I have been worried sick about you! Where the hell are you? Are you alright? Are you and the baby okay," Kyla asked frantically through the receiver. Haley's head shot up from looking down at her hand playing with the fabric of the comforter at her last question. "H-How did you know," she asked, eyes wide in shock. "Hales, Luke found the pregnancy test in the trash can when he went to take out the garbage the other day. Why didn't you tell us," she questioned softly. "I-I don't know. I was scared…" Haley replied with a whimper. Kyla sighed, "I know sweetie…" "I don't know what to do Ky," Haley whispered with a squeaky voice. "Haley, do you want this baby," Kyla asked with surprise.

She nodded but then remembered that Kyla couldn't see her. "Yes," she said quietly. "Then what's the problem? Haley, Lucas loves you, and he already loves this baby. This isn't the same situation as the one you were in five years ago. Hales, you're not eighteen anymore, you're twenty-three years old. You're engaged to a wonderful man and the father of your children. Both of you are extremely happy together and now you're having a baby… I don't see what's wrong with that," Kyla responded, trying to knock some sense into her friend. Haley looked down at her stomach and softly placed her hand on it, a small smile forming on her lips. "Thanks Ky," Haley whispered as she sniffled through her tears. "No problem sweetie," Kyla replied, "You just come home okay?" However, Haley didn't hear this last line as she had hung up and Kyla heard the dial tone sounding in her ear.

Haley curled up with the comforter and pillows after she hung up her phone. She clutched one of them in her arms as she slowly began to rub her stomach. A few moments passed and she lifted the hem of her shirt up slightly, noticing the slight bulge and roundness for the first time. Haley's eyes widened. She couldn't be that far along, could she? She wouldn't be showing this early if she'd conceived Christmas night after Lucas had proposed to her. It had to have been…no, it couldn't be… the night they'd had the candlelit dinner or maybe a few days after that with the strawberries in the kitchen…That was three, almost four months ago! How could she have not noticed the signs? The throwing up, the nausea, the headaches and dizziness, the fevers… God, how could she have been so blind? She knew. She'd been sick with Bronchitis and the flu. Then a thought hit her that caused her eyes to widen even more as she placed her hand back on her stomach. What if she'd gotten the baby sick? Being sick for so long had to have an effect on the baby. Haley quickly stood and pulled on her big overcoat as fast as she could then grabbed her purse and keys, racing down to her car and quickly driving to the hospital.

Haley sat there in the cold, gray exam room, her arms wrapped around her stomach protectively as she waited for the results of he tests the doctor had taken more than an hour ago. The wait was killing her and she was so scared, more than she ever had been besides when Derek was born and she hadn't heard him crying. She wished with all her might that Lucas was there with her, holding her hand, stroking her hair, whispering comforting words and telling her that everything would be alright, that nothing was wrong with the baby. Ten minutes later, the doctor finally reentered the room, a clipboard in hand, and sat on the little rolling stool. He looked over the papers one more time before looking up at her. "Is-Is my baby okay," Haley asked the doctor shakily, her chin and lower lip trembling as tears threatened to spill down her cheeks.

"Your baby is fine, Ms. James. You do need to get rid of that cold though. I'm going to prescribe you some medicine to break up that nasty cough and get rid of the flu. These ones are a bit stronger than the ones your other doctor gave you, but they're also okay for pregnant women to take. Take two a day for about two weeks then one a day for one more week. I wouldn't recommend taking them past that amount of time. I'm also going to prescribe you some prenatal vitamins. You can get these all refilled at your local pharmacy where you live when you need more, okay?" "T-Thank you," Haley replied as she took the papers from his outstretched hand.

Haley slept the rest of the day and woke up early the next morning, nausea hitting her once again. Thankfully, she'd had somewhat of a good sleep last night because she had a long two days of driving ahead of her. She was heading back home. Once she'd packed all of her things back in the car, she went back up to the apartment to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything. Haley stared at the empty apartment surrounding her, remembering all the years she'd lived here with Katie and Derek. Her previous life was in the past now. She had to move on, move forward. She was with Lucas now; they were engaged to be married and they were going to have a baby. Life couldn't be better, right?


	26. Chapter 26 Returning Home

**Author's Note: ** Hey guys! Sorry for the wait! I was having a little trouble with how I wanted to write this chapter so it took me a little longer. Can you believe that FOWB and TSS are almost over? I think about 10 chapters or less for FOWB and about 5 or 6 for TSS! Anyways, on to the story! I hope you like it! As always, please read and review!

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing, One Tree Hill and its characters are property of the WB.

**Rating: **K+ to T

**Finding Our Way Back **

**Chapter 26 – Returning Home **

Lucas paced the living room floor of Haley's apartment back and forth. It seemed to be the only thing he did now. Haley had been gone a week and she hadn't returned any of his calls. He needed to talk to her. He was scared. Haley's long absence and her silence and the way she'd acted when he'd tried to touch her in the bathroom scared him. That wasn't a normal reaction after finding out you were pregnant, at least not in their situation. They were happy and engaged and now they had a baby on the way. This was wonderful news. So why had Haley been so upset?

Lucas picked up the phone and dialed Haley's cell, once again trying to get a hold of her. Still no answer. He left yet other desperate, pleading message before hanging up and returning the phone to its cradle. He sank heavily down onto the couch and buried his head in his hands, beginning to cry. He wished she would come home; he _needed _her to come home. He needed to wrap his arms around her and hold her body tight to his. He needed to kiss her, stroke her hair as he stared into her beautiful chocolate orbs. He needed to tell her he loved her and that everything would be alright.

"Daddy," Katie asked softly as she approached and placed her small hand on his thigh. Lucas looked up from his hands and wiped his eyes, "Yeah sweetie?" "Me and Derek are hungry. Can we go eat at the café," she inquired. Lucas gave her a small smile and ruffled her soft auburn locks, "Sure Katie Bear." "Daddy, why are you sad," Katie asked then squirmed a bit in her place, "I hear you cry at night when I can't sleep." "Do you miss Mommy," Derek asked from a few feet away, walking towards his father and sister. Tears welled in his eyes again at the mention of her and he fought not to let them go in front of his kids. "Very much," he whispered. "When's Mommy coming back," Katie inquired. Lucas shut his eyes tightly, causing a few tears to slip down his cheeks. He wished he could give them a more definite answer; he didn't want to lie to them. The truth was, he didn't know when she was coming back. "I don't know, sweetie," he said quietly as he opened his eyes and looked down at the sad faces of his children. "We miss her too Daddy," Derek replied as he went to hug his father and Katie followed suit. Lucas held his kids tightly in each arm, trying to find comfort in their small warm bodies, their familiar scent of baby lotion invading his nostrils.

He held them for a long time, all seeking consolation in one another. After a while, Lucas pulled away and grabbed their jackets, "Come on guys, let's go to the café and grab a bite to eat." He helped the kids put them on then pulled on his own and picked them up, locking the apartment on his way out. The familiar ring of the bell sounded as he entered and Karen raised her head from cleaning the counter. She saw her son set the kids down and take them each by the hand, leading them over to where she was. Looking into his sad eyes, bloodshot from crying, she knew that there wasn't any new news about Haley. His head hung low and his shoulders sagged, his whole body hunched over as if it was almost too much for him to hold his body up. She gave him a small, almost forced smile as she walked around the counter and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him close for a tight hug. He looked like he needed one.

Tears began to well in his eyes once more as he felt himself begin to break down in his mother's strong embrace. "Not in front of the kids," he told himself as he steeled himself a little bit, trying to force back the emotions threatening to burst out of their entrapment. He sucked in a deep breath and reluctantly pulled away. He wiped the few tears that had formed in his eyes with his fingers then looked down to his children and crouched down to their level. "Hey guys, what do you two want for dinner," he asked them. "Grilled cheese please," Katie replied. "I want a BLT and fries like Mommy always gets," Derek responded. Lucas' throat choked up a bit again at the mention of her name. "Alright, drinks," he inquired. "Apple juice," the two answered in unison. He smiled slightly; it was amazing how they did that. Karen rubbed his shoulder and said softly, "I'll go get their food, you just sit with the kids. What do you want?"

He lifted his head and looked at her with those sad, pain-filled eyes again. He looked so lost, so heartbroken, and it broke hers even more that her baby boy was experiencing so much hurt. His best friend, his fiancé, his true love, was out there somewhere, carrying his child, and he had no idea where she was; he hadn't seen or talked to her in over a week and she knew it was killing him to be away from her, not be able to hold her, comfort her. She wished Haley would come home; not only for Lucas, but for Katie and Derek, and herself too. Lucas slowly shook his head at her question and took his children's hands, leading them to a nearby booth. She cast him a worried glance; he hadn't been eating much and he had lost a little weight, and what worried her more was he'd lost about five pounds in just a little over a week, the amount of time Haley had been gone.

They headed back home after they had eaten and Lucas watched as they played a game on the PlayStation, oblivious to everything that was really going on. All they knew was that their mother had gone on a little vacation. What they didn't know was the Lucas didn't know when she was coming back, if she was coming back… Lucas shuddered and steeled himself after that last thought. He wouldn't think like that; Haley would come back. Around 7:30, Derek and Katie stopped playing their game and asked Lucas to read them a book before they went to bed. Katie zonked out within the first five minutes and it took another twenty minutes before Derek got sleepy enough to go to bed. Lucas put the book away and gently stroked his son's hair, leaning down and kissing his forehead. "I love you Daddy," Derek mumbled sleepily as he snuggled deeper under the covers. "I love you too, D," He responded softly as he tucked the blankets tighter around him. He did the same to Katie before quietly turning out the light and closing the door, leaving it open just a crack. He retreated back to the bedroom and laid down, curling up with Haley's pillow in his arms, his head buried in it. It still had her scent and he breathed it in deeply, wishing, hoping, she would come home soon.

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Haley unlocked the door to her apartment and walked in, dropping her bag on the floor with a soft thud as she sighed and her shoulders sank. She was dog tired. She just wanted to curl up in her bed and go to sleep. All the crying and stress and everything else was really getting to her and she was ready to collapse from exhaustion.

Lucas, who was still awake, heard the noise rushed to the living room and saw Haley standing there before him. He blinked a few times, making sure she was really there and this wasn't some dream trying to trick him. "Oh my god, Hales! Thank god you're home! I was so worried…" He quickly waked over and hugged her tight to his body. Haley began to feel her emotions overcome her as she remembered the past week and feeling so alone and she started to cry. "I'm sorry…" she whispered as she buried her head into his chest. "Sh, as long as you're alright… Are you okay," he asked concernedly as he stroked her hair. Haley gave him a small smile as she pulled away from him and headed to the couch, needing to sit or lie down, her legs feeling almost too weak to hold her up any longer. "I'm better now," she responded as she slowly lowered herself onto the couch. Lucas noticed her wince in pain as she sat down on the couch. He started to smile as he walked over and crouched down beside her, but then a thought struck his mind and his eyes widened with fright.

"Haley, by better you mean…" he took a large gulp and he could hear the shakiness of his own voice as tears welled in his eyes, "Haley, you didn't get an abortion, did you?" Her jaw dropped open and her eyes widened too, only with shock, and she quickly lifted her hand and slapped him hard across the cheek. "How dare you!" Her eyes narrowed into slits and she was glaring at him so intensely and with such hatred that she could very well bring to life the saying of 'If looks could kill'. She pointed her index finger towards the front door as she responded angrily, "Get out! Get out now! Stay away from me! I don't want to see you!" "Haley, I-" Lucas began, but was cut off. Haley's stare intensified and he could swear he was burning at the flesh by her fiery eyes, "Leave, NOW! Before I kick your ass out!" Lucas opened his mouth again to protest but he saw her lips tighten into a thin line and he knew he should just go and let her cool off, but he really needed to talk to her, explain, sort things out. But he knew he wouldn't be able to do that tonight. He sighed dejectedly as his shoulders sank and he turned towards the door, giving her one last sad, tear-filled gaze before leaving the apartment. Haley stood there, watching him as he retreated from the apartment, breathing heavily and absolutely fuming, but then she started to cry, burying her head in her hands.

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At the sound of raised voices, Derek, who had always been a light sleeper, had woken up and stumbled in the hallway. He saw his parents fighting, something he had never witnessed them do, and hid in the hallway closet as he always did when he was scared. Tears marred his young face as he listened to the conversation and it ended when he heard the slam of the front door. He cautiously opened the door and peeked out, seeing his mother sobbing. He had always been in-tune with her emotions and he hated seeing her cry, so he ran to comfort and greet her at the same time, not having seen her for over a week, "Mommy!"

----------------------------------------------------

Haley was upset and fuming from her fight with Lucas and she wrapped her arms tightly around herself as if to keep her from crumbling to the floor. She saw her son running towards her and knew that she didn't want him to be near her at that moment, for him to see her crying. He had always hated to see her cry, just like Lucas. The thought of him infuriated her more. How could he have thought that she'd get an abortion? How could he have asked her that question? Her anger mounted as she continued to think about Lucas, yet still she cried.

Derek finally reached his mother and before he attached himself to her legs, he said, "Mommy, I-" However, Haley cut him off, shouting at him, "Derek, go to your room! NOW!" The little boy stared up at her for a moment, stunned, as large tears welled in his blue eyes then he turned and ran from the room. Haley instantly regretted her harsh words towards her son; she hadn't meant to yell at him. Haley sank down onto the couch as fresh tears fell down her cheeks. Her life was such a mess right now; she'd just had a fight with Lucas, she couldn't seem to control her feelings or emotions, and she had horrible mood swings; she'd just screamed at her son for no reason, she'd been taking her frustration and anger out on him.

Haley took a few minutes to calm down before she walked to her son's room and quietly opened the door. She found Derek lying face down on his bed, emitting loud sobs and little whimpers into his pillow. It was a wonder how Katie could sleep through all that noise, but she had always been a heavy sleeper. She sat on his bed and slowly began to rub his back, talking to him softly, "I'm sorry I yelled at you baby. Mommy was just upset. You didn't do anything wrong, okay?" Derek finally turned to her , his tear-stained face red and blotchy and nodded then said in a trembling voice, "I just wanted to tell you that I missed you." She gathered him up in her arms and held him tightly as she kissed him on the cheek, "Oh sweetie, I'm so sorry. I missed you too, so much."

They remained like that for several minutes until Derek asked in a soft voice, "Mommy, why did you yell at Daddy and make him go away?" "Daddy said some mean things to Mommy so Mommy got angry. I'm sorry I took my anger out on you, I didn't mean to," she told him. He nodded and both were silent for several moments until Derek asked, "Mommy, what's a bortion?" An expression of shock and fright crossed her face then she replied, "You don't have to worry about that right now. I'll tell you when you're older. Hey D, let's just keep this between us, okay? Don't even tell Katie." "I won't," he replied. "Alright, it's past your bedtime and you have school tomorrow. Now get into bed and I'll tuck you in," she responded as she ruffled his messy blonde hair. Derek hugged her before getting under the covers, "I love you Mommy." "I love you too baby," Haley whispered as she kissed his cheek and pulled the sheets up to his shoulders. Once she left the kids' bedroom, Haley went to her own room and collapsed on the bed, beginning to sob at the events that had taken place that night. She curled up with Lucas' pillow, his musky scent still on it, and slowly cried herself to sleep.


	27. Chapter 27 Back Into the Groove

**Author's Note: **Hey guys! Here's a new chapter! I know it's beyond crappy and not much happens, but I'm really tired because I only got about an hour of sleep last night because my baby (my dog Buddy) was going in for an operation this morning and I was worried about him. Thankfully, he's fine and he's home, albeit he has a plastic cone on his head to keep from scratching his eye so I have to wake up in the middle of the night to take him to go potty since he can't go through the doggy door with the cone on his head. Anyways, more drama coming up! I hope you like this chapter! As always, please read and review!

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing. One Tree Hill and its characters are property of the WB.

**Rating: **K+ to T

**Finding Our Way Back **

**Chapter 27 – Back Into the Groove **

Haley cursed her morning sickness for the second time that morning as she leaned over the toilet in the staff bathroom across the hall from her classroom. The first bell had rung for second hour when she'd felt nauseous and rushed to the bathroom. She cleaned herself up then headed back, the final bell having already rung five minutes earlier. There were soft murmurs between the students as Haley entered the class and all of them welcomed her back. Surprisingly, Heather, never one to be blunt, spoke loudly as she raised a magazine and asked Haley, "Mrs. Scott, is it true?" The students had taken to calling her Mrs. Scott ever since she'd gotten engaged to Lucas, and Haley tried to calm the anger building within her at the thought of Lucas. Stress wasn't good for her or the baby and she was already stressed out as it was with the fight, the kids, and getting back into the groove of school when she'd been gone away for so long. Even though it had only been over a week it felt as if she'd been away for months.

Haley walked over to Heather and took the magazine from her, staring at the cover and her eyes widened in shock. The title read: Another One On the Way? It showed a picture of her in New York when it had been slightly warmer so she had gone out not wearing her large overcoat. A big red circle had been made around her stomach, accentuating her thickening waistline. God, the paparazzi were so annoying. Couldn't they just leave her alone? She wasn't in show business anymore. She'd wanted out of the spotlight; she had tried to get away from all that by moving back to Tree Hill. Why couldn't they find some other new celebrity to stalk?

She sighed as she stared at the magazine cover again then looked up to the expectant faces of her students and forced a smile. "Yes, it's true," she replied. They all broke out into wide smiles, their eyes alight with excitement, and the girls shrieked in happiness. They all hooted and hollered their congratulations and Haley smiled politely, thanking them. Once all the clamor died down, Haley stated to her students, "Okay class, I know I've been gone awhile, but if I remember correctly, we have some hero posters to present." The class nodded as they got down to work and began presenting their creations.

Haley ate lunch in her classroom alone that day so she could catch up on her work and also avoid seeing Lucas in the teachers lounge, more so the latter than anything else. She graded papers and the posters as well as prepared for the next two weeks with the other various projects they would do before writing their papers on heroism. The rest of the day went by fast and before she knew it, school was over and she was still sitting there grading papers. She took a break for a few minutes and took her glasses off, rubbing the bridge of her nose and sighing. She leaned back in her chair and rested her head back, closing her eyes for a moment or two. She rested a hand on her stomach and slowly started rubbing in circles, a small smile forming on her face. Despite the hell that the symptoms were putting her through, Haley loved being pregnant. She loved the 'full' feeling she got in her stomach, the roundness and firmness forming in her belly, the feel of her unborn child kicking, although that had not happened yet and wouldn't for another couple weeks. She had calculated that she was about four months along.

After about ten minutes of gently rocking back and forth in her chair as she rubbed her stomach, she looked at her watch and realized it was almost time to go pick up the kids. She packed up the stuff she needed to take home and tidied her classroom a bit before finally gathering her belongings and heading out to the parking lot. Haley drove to Kyla's place and knocked on the door. Her friend greeted her with a hug, looking like she needed it. "How are you feeling," she asked. "I'm fine," she responded. "Have you talked to him yet," Kyla asked, gazing at her concernedly. She hated that two of her closest friends were fighting when they should just forgive each other and be happy again, but she wasn't one to force her opinions on other people. Sometimes other people had to take their own time. She just wish it wouldn't be much longer.

Haley shot her a glare and shook her head. She was still mad at Lucas for what he had said. It angered her that he would think she'd abort their child, especially after the fact that she'd been eighteen when she'd first gotten pregnant and hadn't gotten an abortion. "Mommy," she heard her children call out as they raced over to her, bringing her out of her thoughts. "Hey babies," she greeted them with a smile as she crouched down on one knee and held open her arms for them to enter. Haley inwardly berated herself. She shouldn't call them that anymore; they weren't babies anymore, they were five years old. "Did you guys have fun with Ky," she asked them. They both nodded their heads emphatically. "Yeah, can we go to the café and get something to eat? I'm hungry," Derek replied. "What? Didn't Ky feed you," she smiled as she glanced at her friend. "Hey! I'm just a poor soul who lives on a small income. I can't cater to their ravenous appetites. They're eating me out of house and home!" Kyla threw up her hands in exasperation.

Haley laughed and picked up her kids, "See you later Ky, thanks for taking care of them. Let's go get some food kids. Mommy's hungry too." They went to the café and greeted Karen, who immediately went to go fix their usual meals, BLTs for Haley and Derek and a Grilled cheese for Katie. Dinner was pretty much eaten in silence except for the few times when Derek and Katie talked about their day at school or something they did with Kyla. Once they were done, they cleaned up the table and Haley went to go pay for their food, to which Karen refused to take her money. Finally, Haley got fed up and stuffed the money in the cash register when Karen went to go pour some coffee for a customer. As she was heading out the door, leading her kids by their hands, the door opened and in stepped Lucas. His gaze immediately fell on her and he opened his mouth to say something, but she just glared at him as she slipped past him. "Daddy," Katie called out as she reached for him. "Come on Katie," Haley tugged gently on her hand, an annoyed tone in her voice. Katie sniffled as the tears welled in her eyes as her mother pulled her away from her father. Derek cried too as he craned his neck back to look at him. He mouthed 'I love you' to both of them as Haley pulled them out of the café. Tears welled behind Lucas' eyes as he watched their sad, heartbroken faces retreating further away from him. He was watching his family walking out on him, out of his life, once again.


	28. Chapter 28 Cornered

**Author's Note: **Hey guys! I found a little time to write this chapter through all the goings-on this weekend. I know it's short, but I promise the next one will be longer. I know you all will probably hate me, and most likely Lucas and Haley too, after this chapter, but they will be getting back together soon, if not the next chapter then the one after that. I'll try to get around to writing TSS on Monday if I'm not running around all over the place or spending time with the family. Happy Fourth of July to all you Americans out there and to anyone who celebrates 4th of July! I hope you like this chapter! As always, please read and review!

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing. One Tree Hill and its characters are property of the WB.

**Rating: **K+ to T

**Finding Our Way Back**

**Chapter 28 – Cornered **

It had been two weeks since the fight and neither one had talked to the other nor apologized. Every time he tried to talk to her, she would just glare at him and he would end up closing his mouth, biting back his words, and walking away from her in defeat. He hadn't seen his kids in two weeks, ever since that day in the café, seeing their sad, heartbroken faces and the tears in their eyes. That image would forever be engrained into his mind.

Over the past two weeks, Lucas had watched her from afar. He'd watched her stomach gradually grow more round and prominent, more noticeable. He longed to touch and caress her stomach, feel their child growing inside of her. He had been cheated out of that the first time because Haley had never told him she was pregnant. He wanted to be a part of her pregnancy, help her through everything he hadn't been able to do the first time. He was determined to be a part of this baby's life, now, before it was born, not five years later like with Katie and Derek. So with his jaw clenched and a 'Will not take no for an answer' look in his eyes, he set out for Haley's classroom that morning as soon as he arrived at the school.

Haley was preparing for the day, writing on the chalkboard the list of assignments they would be doing, when she heard the door close and turned to see Lucas quickly striding towards her. He had a determined look on his face and fiery flames burning in his blue eyes. Fear instantly coursed through her body. She had never seen such a look on his face than the one he was wearing now. She had never been so scared of Lucas than she was right now. Well, there had been that one time a few months after Lucas had joined the basketball team and had been forced to go to the annual 'Kiss Dan Scott's Ass' dinner for the team and she had gone to talk to him at his house where he had been getting ready and she'd told him she was starting to like Nathan as more than a friend or tutoring student. He had been pissed to say the least, but there had been a quiet resignation in his eyes, letting her know that he understood even though he didn't really like or accept it. There was none of that in his eyes now and it made her even more scared to think of what he might do.

He advanced towards her as she backed up, until she could go no further; he had cornered her up against the wall and Haley began to whimper in fright. Lucas finally broke out of his trance and his eyes refocused, seeing Haley cowering before him, seeing the fear in her eyes as she gazed up at him, pleading with him, her chin and lower lip trembling, her whole body shaking, her arms wrapped protectively around her stomach. "Shit," he swore under his breath as he hung his head and moved his eyes to the floor in shame for scaring her so much, pulling away as he ran a hand through his hair, "I'm sorry." Haley regained a shred of her composure with the distance put between them and anger surged through her. She slapped him hard across the face. "Sorry for what," she demanded. "What do you mean? I said I was sorry," he mumbled, holding his jaw and rubbing it gently.

Haley's anger was near the boiling point now. She let out a frustrated scream, "You know what? Just get out! Get out and leave me alone! Just-Just stay away from me, you bastard!" Tears welled in Lucas' eyes as he gazed at her pleadingly and whispered "I'm sorry" to her before leaving the classroom, knowing he wouldn't be able to talk to her until she cooled down and cursing himself silently for scaring her.

As soon as Lucas left, Haley felt the sudden urge to throw up and she quickly clamped her hand over her mouth and rushed across the hall to the staff bathroom. She collapsed onto the floor in front of the toilet as she purged what little breakfast was left in her stomach after already throwing up earlier that morning. Once she had stopped vomiting, Haley curled up into a ball as she buried her head into her hands and sobbed.


	29. Chapter 29 Heartbreak Reunion

**Author's Note: **Hey guys! Here's a new chapter for you all! Not much else to say other than I will probably be working on TSS and won't update FOWB until I get that chapter done, but that usually flies right out the window, so yeah. I might have an update for FOWB tomorrow lol But I'm not making any guarantees cuz it's 4th of July and my family might want to drag me away somewhere, far away from the computer. Anyways, I hope you like it! As always, please read and review!

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing. One Tree Hill and its characters are property of the WB.

**Rating: **K+ to T

**Finding Our Way Back **

**Chapter 29 – Heartbreak Reunion **

It was another half an hour before Haley pulled herself off the floor and cleaned up the mess that was her face and hair. She wiped her face with a wet paper towel, cleaning the tears and makeup off, then redid her makeup. She had never been one to wear much makeup, always having a natural beauty to her, so not much was ever needed, just a light blush and some eye shadow to accentuate her cheekbones and eyes. She fixed her hair and once she was semi-satisfied with the way she looked, she headed back to her classroom.

Second hour finally rolled around and she was still shaking from her encounter with Lucas. She had also become a little jumpy at every loud sound; the yelling voices, the ring of the bell, the slam of a book dropped onto the floor. The bell rang again and she jumped at the loud sound, quickly looking towards the door when she heard the scrape of the door closing shut. "You okay, Mrs. Scott," Heather asked concernedly as she entered the classroom. She noticed Haley's red, bloodshot, and puffy eyes and the nearly frightened look in them. "I-I'm fine, Heather, I'm just a little cold that's all," Haley replied as she pulled on her sweater then saw the concerned gaze still trained on her, "I didn't get much sleep last night, the kids kept me up." "Oh, okay," Heather replied, although still not convinced, "I hope you feel better." "Thank you Heather," Haley responded with a small smile.

Once all the kids had entered the classroom and settled in their seats, Haley gave instructions for their daily assignments and after that was done, she told them that today they would start their essays on heroism. There was a collective groan throughout the class and Haley smiled, knowing they were just doing that to be dramatic. Haley stood from her desk and began to walk around the room, addressing her class on the topic at hand, "Okay everyone, now that you have finished your books, you are to write a five paragraph essay on heroism. Pick a character from your book that was heroic and in your three body paragraphs, explain in detail three different instances where this character performed an act of heroism. Remember to include your four citations and use one of the four attention grabbers in your introduction. You will have the rest of class today, tomorrow, and possibly some time Monday. They will be due at the end of class on Monday." With that said, the students got down to work.

Haley loved teaching Junior English and this class was her favorite; the students were very bright and almost all of them did their homework. They were a great bunch; they always made her laugh and they had great conversations about anything ranging from everyday life to things going on in the world or things happening in the future.

Her stomach rumbled and bubbled in hunger and she wished that she could eat earlier than her third hour prep. She didn't really have any food left in her stomach after all that throwing up she had done that morning. She'd had mild hunger pains all day and now that it was nearing her normal lunch hour, the slight pain had become a little more prominent. As she continued walking around the classroom, observing her students, she rubbed her hand against her lower back, trying to relieve the dull ache that had formed there from the added weight to her small frame. It wasn't doing much to help, to say the least, because she couldn't reach all the places she needed to. Maybe she could get Kyla to give her a backrub when she went to go pick the kids up.

She turned and walked down yet another aisle and spotted a few papers on the floor. Always one for neatness and order, Haley bent down to pick them up and see whose they were. Immediately, intense pain flooded throughout her belly and she clutched it tightly as she screamed out in agony and collapsed to the floor. Shocked exclamations of "Oh my god", "Mrs. Scott!" and "Ms. James" were heard throughout the classroom, but nobody did anything, all too scared to manage anything but staring at their teacher lying on the floor. "Oh my god, Haley," Heather shouted in fear as she raced to her friend and teacher and knelt by her side. "Haley, look at me, talk to me. What's wrong? What hurts," she asked worriedly, trying to calm the panic warring within her and failing miserably. "Stomach…baby…I'm so…tired…I need to sleep…" Haley barely managed to get out in a whisper through her almost uncontrollable shaking and the tears covering her face as she sobbed. Heather gently but firmly grabbed her chin and turned her head to face her, "No Haley, you can't go to sleep, you need to stay awake, you hear me? Don't close your eyes, don't go to sleep." Haley nodded slightly and tried to keep from closing her eyes.

Heather looked up to her frightened classmates all gathered round in a circle. "Give her some space! Give her some air! Denise, I want you to call 911, and fast! Tell them she's pregnant and she's having pain in her stomach. Also tell them that she's drifting in and out of consciousness. Laura, I want you to go to the front office and tell them that Ms. James collapsed and get the nurse. Johnny, go get Mr. Scott and hurry! Go, NOW, all three of you!" She shooed them off with her hand and while Johnny and Laura raced out of the classroom, Denise rushed to the phone to dial 911. "Hang in there Haley, help is on the way," she murmured as she stroked her hair gently.

Johnny raced into the gym, panting heavily from running through the school, and he spotted Lucas with the kids he had for Physical Education that hour, playing some hockey. He bent over with his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath, as he called out, "Coach!" It was apparent he hadn't heard because he continued to play the game with the kids. He stood and jogged to just a few feet away, "COACH!" Lucas turned around and a confused expression crossed his face, "Johnny, what are you doing here? You should be in class." He was still breathing heavily from his mad dash when he answered, "Ms. James…collapsed…something wrong with the baby… Heather told me to get you…" Lucas eyes widened in panic as his brain registered what Johnny said. The hockey stick clattered to the floor as he bolted for the doors, Johnny not far behind him.

"Hales!" Lucas shouted in fear as he burst into her classroom. He dropped down beside Heather and caressed Haley's cheek, placing his hand on top of hers, which were holding her belly. "She's drifting in and out of consciousness," Heather whispered as she placed Haley's hand, the one she was holding, into Lucas', and backed away, giving them some space. Lucas stroked her hair as he leaned down and gently kissed her on the mouth, "Hales, I am so sorry. I'm sorry for everything. I love you, you know that. You know I would never do anything to hurt you…" His mind flew back to earlier that morning, cornering her against the wall, her frightened eyes, her trembling body… "Oh god, this is all my fault…I'm so sorry honey…" he hunched over a little as he began to sob. "Luke…" he heard Haley say in a dry, hoarse whisper and he looked down into her eyes, almost fully closed, "I'm sorry too…" Then Haley closed her eyes once more and drifted back into unconsciousness.


	30. Chapter 30 Hospital Emergency

**Author's Note: **Hey guys! I'm back with another chapter! Bring on the drama! LOL Not much else to say other than I hope you like it! As always, please read and review!

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing. One Tree Hill and its characters are property of the WB.

**Rating: **K+ to T

**Finding Our Way Back **

**Chapter 30 – Hospital Emergency **

Lucas sobbed as he held Haley's hand all through the ride to the hospital in the ambulance. She was still unconscious and had not woken up after blacking out at the school. As soon as they reached Tree Hill Memorial Hospital, Haley was whisked away inside on a gurney as Lucas tried to keep up. Unfortunately, one of the nurses stopped him and said that he couldn't go any further, only hospital staff was allowed behind those double doors. So he was left standing there, watching them wheel his fiancé off down the hallway, scared and worried out of his mind. He couldn't lose Haley and the baby, he just couldn't. Not now, when he had just found her and had her back in his life again, not ever.

He collapsed onto a nearby chair as he buried his head in his hands and cried. A few minutes later, he stood and began to pace, feeling as if it had already been hours since Haley had been taken behind those doors. He needed something to do, something to keep him busy from going crazy just sitting there, waiting. He then realized that none of their friends and family knew what had happened so he rushed to the payphones to call everyone. He didn't want to risk going outside the hospital to use his cell phone when the doctor might come out and tell him news of Haley and the baby.

He called the café first to tell Karen, and Kyla too, if she was working there today. "Mom," Lucas asked in a choked up voice as more tears welled in his eyes when the phone was picked up on the other end of the line. "Lucas? Honey, what's wrong," Karen inquired concernedly, worry evident in her voice. "H-Haley had an accident at the school…I-I'm at the hospital now…" "Oh my god! I'll be right there. Is she alright? Is the baby okay," Karen cut in as she went to grab her coat and keys. "I-I don't know. We just got here about thirty minutes ago. The doctors haven't told me anything yet. Mom, is-is Kyla there?" "Yeah, she's right here honey. Do you want to talk to her?" "No, that's alright. Will you please t-tell her to pick up the kids from school and bring them when she comes to the hospital? Make sure she fixes a bag of toys and coloring books and stuff to keep them busy… I-I can't lose her Mom…she's my whole life…" Lucas choked on a sob as he clutched the phone to his ear. "I know honey. You just sit tight okay? I'll be there in a little bit. I'm gonna go with Kyla to pick up the kids because her car is in the shop then we'll come to the hospital, okay," Karen tried to calm her son, but she was worried herself. She hoped Haley and the baby would be alright. "O-Okay," Lucas replied shakily, "Bye Mom." "Bye sweetie," Karen responded then hung up the phone.

"What happened? What's wrong with Haley? Is she and the baby alright," Kyla asked, her eyes wide in fear and panic. "Luke said Haley had an accident at the school. He didn't tell me what happened though. The doctors haven't told him anything yet. They just got there about half an hour ago. Come on, we have to go pick up the kids and go to the hospital. Just let me go tell Deb to handle the café for the rest of the day." Once she did that, the two women drove to the elementary school to get the kids. "Grandma, what are you doing here," Derek asked as he hugged her. "Aunt Kiki, why are you here early," Katie inquired. Kyla looked to Karen in askance if she should tell the kids what was going on. Karen shook her head slightly in response. Kyla crouched down in front of them, "We're going to see Daddy, okay?" Their ears perked as they quickly looked up at her, smiles spreading across their faces, responding excitedly in unison, "Daddy?" "Yeah sweeties, so go get your stuff and we'll go see him, okay," she replied and she ruffled the hair on both their heads.

Two hours. That's how long he'd been waiting and still no news yet. His mother and Kyla had not yet arrived with the kids. He needed a distraction, to keep him from going crazy with worry and panic. If it was taking them this long, something really had to be wrong. He hoped with a desperate passion that Haley hadn't lost the baby. His thoughts turned to Katie and Derek. He supposed Haley hadn't told them about the baby yet. How would they react to the news of another sibling? Should he tell them about the baby? They would undoubtedly ask when they found out their mom was in the hospital. Maybe he shouldn't tell them. Pain washed over his face at a thought. What if Haley lost the baby and he'd told Katie and Derek? He would have gotten their hopes up only to let them come crashing down. He didn't know what to do. He buried his head in his hands and began to cry again.

"Daddy!" Lucas heard half an hour later and looked up to see his kids running towards him with open arms. He quickly slid off his seat and crouched down, engulfing them both in a tight hug, "Hey guys, I missed you so much…" "We missed you too Daddy," both replied at the same time and he smiled, still amazed at how they did that. "Where's Mommy," Derek asked. "Why are we at the hopspital," Katie inquired as she looked up at him. Lucas winced at her question. "Guys…" he started sadly and he could feel the tears welling up behind his eyes again, "Mommy had accident at work and…" Both gasped as their eyes widened in shock. "Mommy got hurt," Katie asked, her chin and lower lip trembling. "I want to see Mommy," Derek replied, tears falling on his cheeks. "I know you want to see Mommy, but you can't right now. She's sleeping. You can see her when she wakes up, alright," he responded and they both nodded. He hugged them again for a few more minutes then looked up when he heard his name called, "Lucas Scott?" The doctor had entered the waiting room and Lucas stood, gulping hard, not sure if he wanted to hear what the doctor had to say by the look on his face. "Ky, could you take the kids out of the room please," he asked softly then stared to the doctor. "I'm Lucas Scott," he replied.

Hours later, Lucas sat by Haley's bedside, his head buried into the stark white sheets as he cried, his left hand holding her right hand gently in his own and his left hand placed gently on her stomach. She still hadn't woken up yet and he wished she would so he could look into her deep, soulful brown orbs and kiss her. He wanted to tell her what the doctor had told him but knew he shouldn't because it would cause her stress and stress wasn't something Haley needed right now. She needed to rest and recuperate. He knew she would be upset when he told her, but right now, he just wanted her to open her beautiful brown eyes and smile at him.

Twenty minutes passed and he still sat there crying. He had taken to gently rubbing her belly, wishing he could feel the movements of their child, and softly running his thumb across the back of her hand. Suddenly he felt a light squeeze to his hand and heard a light moan, "Luke…" He quickly wiped away his tears, standing up as he brushed some of the hair out of her face, "I'm right here honey, I'm right here," he whispered as he laid a gentle kiss on her forehead. Then it all seemed to come back to her in a rush, what had happened. She quickly sat up, placing her hands on her stomach, letting out a cry of pain as she felt the cramp seizing her body. "Sh… you can't sit up yet," he replied as he carefully pushed her upper torso back down onto the bed, "you have to stay lying down." "Luke…" Haley whimpered, her own tears now cascading down her cheeks and running down the side of her face and neck, fear in her eyes as she placed her hand on her stomach, "Is-Is the baby okay? I d-didn't lose the baby, did I?" "Hales…" he began as he took her hand into his and kissed it, not wanting to upset her or stress her out even more. Haley yanked her hand away from him, "NO! Don't you 'Hales' me. Dammit Luke! Tell me right now!" He just looked at her, his eyes and throat still choked with emotion, knowing she would be upset and wouldn't accept the news he had to give her.


	31. Chapter 31 Rest and Recuperation

**Author's Note: **Hey guys! Thanks for all the AMAZING feedback! Can you believe FOWB is almost at 200 reviews! I'm so psyched! I'll probably be working on TSS next. I've really been neglecting that story. It's getting kind of hard to write it even though I know what I want to happen but it's because TSS is coming to a close. Yep kiddies, I am hoping to get TSS done within five or six more chapters and I am predicting that FOWB will be ending around 50 chapters, maybe 45. So they'll both be done soon! I'm glad about that because I will be starting college in early August and won't have as much time to write. Anyways, I hope you like this chapter! As always, please read and review!

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing. One Tree Hill and its characters are property of the WB.

**Rating: **K+ to T

**Finding Our Way Back **

**Chapter 31 – Rest and Recuperation **

"They want me to WHAT? For a whole WEEK!" Haley asked, her eyes wide as she sat up again and screamed in pain. "Hales, stop trying to sit up or it's just going to get worse. Please just stay lying down," he begged as he helped her lie back down. "Lucas, I can't be put on bed rest for a whole week! You know I can't sit still for more than ten minutes! But for a whole week? I'll go crazy," Haley ranted as she threw her hands up in the air. "I know honey, but you need to rest and recuperate. You need as little stress as possible right now. I know you hate staying in one place, but please do it for me? And for the baby," he asked as he gently laid his hand on her belly. Tears welled in Haley's eyes and she placed her hand beside his as she remembered when Lucas had told her that she had almost lost the baby. She would have never forgiven herself if that had happened. She squeezed her eyes shut as she whispered, "Okay."

Haley stayed a few more days in the hospital and finally she was released to go home with some heavy painkillers and orders not to sit up for another two days. Her head and shoulders could be propped slightly up by pillows though, but nothing below her chest because it would cause pain to her abdomen. So instead of the usual wheelchair escort out of the hospital, they wheeled her out on a gurney and placed her in the large, long back seat of Lucas' Ford Expedition SUV. "Are you okay," he asked concernedly throughout the long drive home, taking less traveled roads to go slower and avoid dips and bumps in the pavement. Once they arrived home, Lucas carefully carried her from the car to the bedroom and gently laid her down on the bed. He brushed the hair away from her face and stroked her cheek with an index finger, "Why don't you take a nap okay?" She nodded then lightly grabbed his chin and pulled his lips down to meet hers in a tender kiss, "I love you." "I love you too honey," Lucas responded when he pulled away. He gave her a soft smile as he stroked her hair then laid a gentle kiss on her forehead, "Get some rest." Haley closed her eyes and Lucas stood from the bed, turning off the light and quietly shut the door behind him as he left the room.

"Honey, wake up," Lucas said a few hours later as he rubbed her arm to rouse her from sleep even though he didn't want to. She looked so peaceful when she slept and now was no different. She was lying on her back, her head tilted to the right and a small smile on her face. His gaze drifted down and found her hands on her stomach. He smiled and carefully lowered himself onto the bed, placing one hand on her stomach and beginning to rub slowly. It still amazed him every time he put his hand there, feeling the roundness and firmness of her belly, feeling their child growing inside. After all, he hadn't been there for the first pregnancy and he hadn't been near her for almost three weeks before the accident; the two they were fighting and the week Haley had gone on her little road trip. He ran his hand lightly over the bump, not wanting to hurt her, for he knew that her stomach was still tender from the pain.

"Mmm…" Haley moaned softly as she slowly woke from her slumber. She opened her eyes and stared into Lucas' blue ones, a smile spreading across her lips. "Hey you," Lucas replied when he saw that she was awake, "How are you feeling?" "Bored already," she responded then her smile grew even wider, "but you being here is helping a lot." He chuckled then said, "come on, I brought you some food. Lift your head up so I can put another pillow under it." She obliged and he carefully fluffed a pillow and placed it behind her. He then moved the tray he had brought with him and set it on the nightstand beside the bed. "What did you make," she asked. "Hot dogs, macaroni, and tomatoes," he replied then gave her one of his lopsided smirks, "the doctor said you should only eat soft foods until you can sit up so you don't choke." She let out a short laugh as she rolled her eyes. "Macaroni and cheese is my favorite food," she replied with a light squeal, "and tomatoes, I like them too." "I know," he smiled. She watched as he cut the two hot dogs into small slices then dipped one in some ketchup and offered it to her. She opened her mouth then closed it once the fork slid in. She chewed slowly then said after she swallowed, "I hate that you have to treat me like a little kid and cut up my food and feed it to me." "It's only for another couple of days, sweetie," he responded as he grazed her cheek with his thumb and leaned down to place a soft kiss on her forehead.

After she had eaten, Haley patted the vacant spot on the bed beside her, "I'm bored again. Come here and keep me company. Entertain me. As they say, misery loves company." She grinned at him and he chuckled as he carefully climbed onto the bed side her. "Tell me something," she requested. "What," he inquired. "I don't know, just tell me something," she replied with a shrug. "I love you," he responded. "No, that's what I meant, and I love you too." "Uh, you're beautiful," he replied. "Do I detect a pause there mister? You sound uncertain," she laughed as she lightly slapped him in the chest, "but that's not what I meant either. Tell me something I don't know." Lucas wracked his brain for anything she might not know, but came up with nothing. "Um, I don't really know. You know just about everything there is about me," he answered. "Come on, I'm sure there's something I don't know," she coaxed. Lucas looked down to his hands and tears welled in his eyes a little as he thought back on it, "Well, um, I don't want to upset you…" "Uh oh, that doesn't sound good…" she replied as a frown formed on her face, "go on…" "I, um, that night…when you left…I-I thought you'd left me again…I thought you'd left and wouldn't be coming back and you were carrying our child… and I know it seems kind of stupid that I thought that then because I know you would never leave Katie and Derek but I just couldn't help…I couldn't help but think that I'd lost you again, especially when I just found you… but I thought I'd lost even more because you were taking our child with you…" He was quietly crying by now and she opened her arms, engulfing him in a hug. "Sh…" she tried to soothe him as she ran her hand through his blonde locks and kissed him all over his face, "I'm here. I'm not going anywhere… I can't really anyway because I'm on bed arrest." She chuckled lightly and finally he did too.

A few minutes passed and they settled down, lying back against the pillows, both of their arms wrapped around each other. "You know we need to tell the kids soon," he said after a couple minutes of silence. "I know, they've already noticed that I'm getting bigger," she replied as she placed her hand on her stomach. He placed his hand beside hers and rubbed gently then fingered the hem of her shirt. "Can I," he questioned hopefully. She nodded with a smile and he rolled up her shirt, exposing her round belly. He tenderly touched it, feeling the soft skin, seeing the extent of her roundness without clothing to cover it for the first time. "Wow…" he breathed out as his gaze stayed transfixed on her belly. "Amazing, isn't it," she asked with a soft grin. He only nodded, too choked up for words. He suddenly leaned down and laid a tender kiss on her stomach, "I love you baby." Haley's smile widened as she cupped his face in her hand and brought his mouth down to hers.

"You know, I was thinking…" he started half an hour later when they stopped their make out session to catch some air. "Really? Did it hurt," she joked as she grinned up at him. "If you hadn't just come out of the hospital and weren't on bed rest, I'd tickle you," he replied with a mock glare. "So what were you thinking about," she asked. "I think you should invite Heather to the wedding. You two have become really close. Which brings me to another point. We need to start planning this wedding. April and May are just around the corner, about two or three months away," he responded. "I know," she replied as she rubbed his shoulder, "but one step at a time, Luke. Let's just get through this week first and then we'll talk about it, okay?" "Alright," he said as he stroked the hair out of her face and kissed her cheek.


	32. Chapter 32 Where Do Babies Come From?

**Author's Note: **Hey guys! I'm back with another chapter! Sorry it took me a little bit to get this out. I've been a busy girl. I've been trying to work on ITPOAA and working with Taylor on Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder as well as trying to shop for a car and working too. It's been a crazy week. Anyways, this chapter is complete fluff! I hope you like it! As always, please read and review!

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing. One Tree Hill and its characters are property of the WB.

**Rating: **K+ to T

**Finding Our Way Back **

**Chapter 32 – Where Do Babies Come From? **

"How's she doing," Lucas asked Kyla, who was typing on her laptop on the couch, when he entered the apartment. "Restless and complaining as usual," Kyla smiled as she looked up at him. While Haley was on bed rest, Lucas had asked Kyla to watch after her and keep her occupied so she wouldn't go insane just sitting around in bed all day while he was at work. "Where are the kids," he inquired, not hearing the usual noise of the television or them playing in the den. "In their room, napping for once. Thank god," Kyla replied as she leaned her head back and rolled her eyes, "Those two are like little Energizer bunnies. They keep going and going… They never stop." Lucas laughed and responded, "Do you know if Hales is awake?" "Last time I checked, she was sleeping," Kyla answered, returning her focus back to the screen of her computer. "Alright, I'm just gonna go check on her," he replied.

Lucas entered the bedroom and quietly shut the door behind him, not wanting to wake her. She was awake, however, and when she saw him she smiled and braced her hands against the bed, slowly pushing herself up into a sitting position. He rushed over and helped her, fluffing a pillow and placing it behind her head. "Hey," she said sleepily. "Hey," he replied back as he pushed some hair out of her face and kissed her forehead then placed his hand on her stomach, rubbing gently, "How are you and the baby doing?" She placed her hand beside his, "We're doing fine. How about you? How was work?" "It was good. Would have been better if you were there though," he smiled, "Everyone's been asking about you, and the baby." "Aw, that's sweet," Haley responded with a soft smile. "When will we be able to feel the baby kick," Lucas asked as he lightly dragged his fingernails over her belly in soothing movements. "Probably not for another couple of weeks," she replied. "Oh," his hopeful gaze fell and his lower lip stuck out in a pout. She rubbed his arm sympathetically, "Don't worry, it'll happen soon."

He nodded and before he had the chance to respond, both Katie and Derek came running into the room, "Mommy! Daddy!" Kyla appeared in the doorway and smiled, "Sorry, they woke up and wanted to see you guys. They ran in here before I could catch them, the little rascals." "It's alright," Lucas replied then said as he watched them crawl onto the bed next to their mother, "Careful you two." "Why? Is Mommy hurt," Katie asked as she looked up at her father. "Mommy, are you hurt," Derek inquired of his mother. "No sweetie, I'm not," Haley smiled as she rubbed his shoulder. "Then why did Daddy tell us to be careful around you," Katie's forehead and nose scrunched in confusion. Both Lucas and Haley shared a glance and Haley nodded slightly. "Kids, we've got something important to tell you," Lucas began and paused for a second, "Mommy's pregnant. You're going to have a little baby brother or sister soon." Katie and Derek looked at each other. "Awesome," they cheered in unison as they slapped high fives, but missed each other's hands. Both Lucas and Haley laughed at their actions. Then Katie asked, "Where's the baby?" Lucas placed his hand on her belly and gently patted it, "The baby is here in Mommy's tummy." "Where do babies come from," Katie questioned them as Derek asked, "How did it get in Mommy's tummy?" There it was, the dreaded question every parent hated explaining to their young child.

Haley and Lucas both blushed as they glanced at each other and when their eyes met, their cheeks turned an even darker shade of red. Haley cleared her throat, "Um, it's kind of complicated sweetie. We'll tell you when you're both a little older, okay?" They nodded and Katie asked, "Can the baby hear us talking?" "I think so," Haley smiled. "Can I talk to it," she inquired hopefully. Haley shook her head yes as her smile widened, gesturing her daughter near. She crawled closer to her mother and rested her hand on her stomach as she laid her head gently on the bump, whispering softly, "Hey baby. I'm your big sister, Katie. I hope you're a girl because I want a little sister." "Hey," Derek exclaimed as he too moved over to his mother and joined Katie, "I'm Derek, your big brother. Don't listen to her. Please be a boy. I want a little brother." "No! It's going to be a sister," Katie protested. "Brother," Derek retorted. "Sister," she repeated again. "I'll play you for it," Derek suggested, "I win, it's going to be a brother. You win, it's going to be a sister." "Deal," she smiled, "come on, race you to the den!" Both scooted and hopped off the bed, rushing out of the room.

Both Lucas and Haley laughed hard and Haley had tears in her eyes. She leaned her head back as she groaned, "Oh god, what have we gotten ourselves into, telling them?" "At least they know now," Lucas replied. "Yeah," she smiled as she put her hand behind his neck and pulled him down to meet her lips in a soft, tender kiss. "Mmm," Lucas moaned into her mouth. Haley pulled away and he pouted in disappointment. She rubbed her thumb back and forth across his lower lip a few times before gently pecking him on the lips again. "I love you," she whispered into his ear. He wrapped his arms around her and carefully scooted her body closer to his, burying his head in her hair, taking in her wonderful scent, "I love you too." After a few moments, he asked concernedly, "You have to go back to work next week. Are you sure you're going to be okay?" "I'll be fine, Luke. Besides, it beats sitting around here all day, bored," she patted his arm. "Alright, but don't strain yourself okay? No bending down, no unnecessary walking, no stress. Let the students help you alright?" She nodded, "I will." She rubbed his knee as she carefully maneuvered her legs over the edge of the bed to the floor, "Come on, help me up. I want to see what gender the baby is going to be because apparently, whoever wins the game is the deciding factor." Lucas laughed as he held out his hand, which she gripped, and wrapped an arm around her waist, holding her for support, as they both made their way out of the bedroom towards the den.


	33. Chapter 33 Welcome Back

**Author's Note: **Hey guys! I'm finally back with another chapter for Finding Our Way Back! Sorry it took so long to get out. I was really trying to get a chapter out for ITPOAA and tried not to distract myself with my other stories while I was writing it. I finally finished the chapter for ITPOAA so I started writing FOWB and ran into a little bit of writer's block, but I'm okay now! I hope you like this chapter! As always, please read and review!

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing. One Tree Hill and its characters are property of the WB.

**Rating: **K+ to T

**Finding Our Way Back **

**Chapter 33 – Welcome Back **

Lucas gently sat down beside his sleeping fiancé and brushed some hair out of her face, leaning down and kissing her softly on the lips. "Hales, sweetie, it's time to get up," he whispered quietly as he lightly stroked her arm. "Mmm," Haley moaned, "no it's not. Give Mommy five more minutes guys." Lucas chuckled lightly. "Honey, we have to get ready for work and take the kids to school. Today's your first day back. You don't want to be late, do you?" Haley groaned as she opened her eyes, "I'm up." He grabbed onto her hand and helped her sit up. "Are you sure you're okay to go to work," he asked, brushing his fingers lightly against her belly in concern, "You're not feeling weird or anything? No pain or dizziness?" "Luke, I'm fine. I was on bed rest for a week and then I stayed home a couple extra days to recuperate. I've already taken enough time off. I need to get back to work. Don't worry, I promise I'll take it easy," she patted his cheek then gently kissed him on the lips.

They were interrupted by their kids running into the room, "Mommy, Daddy!" "Morning guys," Haley smiled as they climbed onto the bed. Derek scooted close and put his hand on her stomach then rested his head beside it. "How's my little brother today," he asked. "The baby's doing fine D," Haley's smile widened as she ran her hand over his head. "I still think it's a sister," Katie grumbled as she crossed her arms. "Katie Bear," Lucas said, pulling her onto his lap, "We don't know if the baby is a girl or a boy yet, so you could still have a little sister. And even if we have a boy, there's always a chance the next one will be a girl. You'll get a little sister, I promise." He looked at Haley who was smirking at him and he smirked back, knowing what she was thinking about.

"Thank you Daddy, thank you," Katie exclaimed as she wrapped her little arms around his neck and planted a wet kiss on his cheek. "Why don't you two go get ready for school, okay? I'll start making breakfast in a few minutes," Haley said. "Okay Mommy," Derek replied as he crawled off the bed, Katie following in his wake. "You promise you'll give her a sister, huh?" Haley still smirked at him, "What if we keep having boys?" "Then we'll just keep on trying," he grinned with a twinkle in his eyes. "Oh really," she replied as she pulled him down for a kiss. "Mhmm," Lucas mumbled into her mouth. "I've got to take a shower," she said a few minutes later when she pulled away from his lips, "Join me?" He smiled, "Always." She giggled and shrieked when he picked her up, carrying her into the bathroom.

Lucas' hand was firmly planted on Haley's lower back as they walked through the halls of the school to her classroom. It was still early, so most of the students and faculty weren't there yet or were otherwise in their rooms preparing for the day. "You sure you're feeling alright," he asked again for the fourth time that morning. Haley rolled her eyes and heaved a sigh of slight annoyance, "I'm fine Luke, just like the last three times I told you." She was starting to think he was trying to convince her to stay home so she could rest some more, but she would have none of it. She needed to get back to work and her students. It was already almost nearing the end of the school year with April and May just around the corner and she needed to start preparing her students for their final exams.

"I just don't want you to have another accident," Lucas responded as he pulled her close, kissing her forehead, and placed his hand on her belly, rubbing gently a few turns as they rounded the hallway that Haley's classroom was on, "I'd die if anything happened to you or the baby." "I know," she rubbed his back comfortingly, "but we're fine and I told you I'd take it easy. I promise." They arrived at Haley's door and Lucas hugged her, kissing her softly on the mouth, "I'll see you at lunch. Don't strain yourself; let the kids help you." "I will," she replied as she squeezed him lightly around the waist and gently pecked him on the lips once more before pulling away, "I'll see you later. Love you." "Love you too," he stroked her hair and rubbed her back before heading down the hallway towards his office across the hall from the gym.

Haley fished for her keys in her purse and once she found them, she unlocked her classroom door and entered, gasping in surprise. There were four large bouquets of flowers in different areas of her room and a big banner that said 'Welcome Back!' hung from the ceiling. A large card sat on her desk saying, 'Get Well Soon' with signatures from all her students. Tears welled in her eyes at everyone's thoughtfulness. "Each of your classes chipped in and bought a bouquet for you. I'm not sure where the fourth one came from," a soft voice said from behind her. Haley turned around and saw Heather standing there. Her smile brightened at the sight of the young woman, "Heather!" She walked over and quickly engulfed her in a tight hug. Haley's emotions began to take over as more tears began to trickle down her cheeks. "I-I never got to thank you for helping me through that crisis…You saved both mine and my baby's life by reacting so quickly and taking charge of everything. Thank you," Haley hugged her tightly again. "It was nothing. I just did what I had to do because no one else was doing anything. The rest of the class was still in shock of what had happened," Heather blushed at the lavish compliment and looked down, scratching her arm shyly.

"No Heather," Haley responded adamantly, grabbing her chin so she would look at her, "it was everything. I could have lost my baby if it weren't for you, if you hadn't called the ambulance so quickly. You saved my baby's life." Now tears were in Heather's eyes and she wrapped her arms around Haley. After a few minutes, Heather pulled away and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "I know it's not as extravagant as the bouquets, but I wanted to get you some flowers just from me," she responded as she walked over to her desk and pulled out a beautiful assortment of flowers with a little bear to go along with it. The bear was a tie-dye mixture of pink, blue, and some purple coloring. "I wasn't sure if you knew if the baby was a boy or girl yet so I decided to get something with a little bit of both," Heather responded as she handed the bear to her and set the flowers on Haley's desk. "Oh Heather, it's adorable," Haley said, clutching the bear to her chest, "and the flowers are beautiful. Thank you." Haley hugged her again as more tears fell from her eyes.

Once the tears were dried, Haley gestured for Heather to sit down with her at one of the tables on the side of the room. "Heather, there's something I'd like to talk to you about…" "Yes," she inquired, her brows furrowing in both concern and confusion. "I know it's not…easily acceptable for teachers and students to form such close relationships like we have, but over this past year we've become really close and such good friends. It is because of our close friendship that I would like to invite you to my wedding. We haven't set a date yet, but it's going to be between April and May, most likely just after the school year ends-" "Of course I'll come," Heather responded excitedly, her eyes wide with happiness and a broad smile on her face. "Great," Haley smiled too. "Thank you, thank you," Heather exclaimed as she hugged Haley again. Haley chuckled at her actions, patting her back, "You're welcome." After Heather pulled away, Haley looked at her watch, "You better start heading over to your first class, the bell is about to ring." "Okay, I'll see you second hour, _Mrs. Scott_," Heather smiled as she gathered her books and threw her backpack over her shoulder. Haley winked at her and smiled back, "See you later."


	34. Chapter 34 Watching You Dance Alone

**Author's Note: **Hey guys! Two updates in one day! We haven't had that happen in a while! This chapter is kind of bland and not much happens, but it's full of Laley fluff! Not much else to say other than I might be ending FOWB at 40 chapters, which is coming up REALLY soon! If not 40 then 45 or less. I'll be working on TSS next. I hope you all like it! As always, please read and review!

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing. One Tree Hill and its characters are property of the WB.

**Rating: **K+ to T

**Finding Our Way Back **

**Chapter 34 – Watching You Dance Alone **

"Mommy, Daddy, push us on the swings," Katie requested as she and Derek ran over to their parents from the playground. "Go grab a swing. We'll be there in a minute guys," Haley responded as she started to get up. Lucas wrapped an arm around her waist to help support her as she stood up. Being nearly five months pregnant, Haley had begun to have more trouble standing and getting up from the couch or bed. It was now early March and the baby would be due sometime in mid or late August. Haley couldn't wait. Not only was she excited, but she was already anxious for this baby to come out because the added weight to her small frame even still in her second trimester had already taken a toll on her poor back. Haley grimaced in discomfort when she finally stood and she put her hand to her back, rubbing a sore spot. Lucas gently pressed his thumb on one of the pressure points and she arched her back forwards, leaning towards him, popping her spine a few times. She let out a soft sigh and wrapped an arm around his waist, resting her head against his chest, "Thanks." He kissed the top of her head and rubbed her shoulder as they walked to the playground to push the kids on the swings.

"I wanna go play basketball," Derek said after fifteen minutes of being pushed on the swings by his mother. A small sigh escaped Haley's lips as her shoulders sank a little and she ran a hand over her stomach. "Guys, Mommy's tired. Let's go home and I'll take you down to the rivercourt later, okay," Lucas replied as he walked to Haley's side and wrapped his arm around her, kissing her forehead. "Okay Daddy," they replied in unison. Haley and Lucas shared a smile. Derek and Katie slid from their swings and Haley bent over to pick up her son, but Lucas got to him first. Haley pouted and crossed her arms over her chest. She wanted to hold her son. "Don't strain yourself," he whispered as he stroked her hair. He then placed Derek in Haley's arms, who positioned him on her hip. Lucas picked up Katie and the foursome headed back to the apartment, Haley and Lucas with their free hands entwined together.

"You've got a present in your office," Chad, one of the players on the basketball team, winked as Lucas made his way through the locker room. Lucas walked a little faster and entered his office, finding Haley sitting atop his desk. She had tears in her eyes and he rushed to her concernedly, wiping them away with his thumbs. "Honey, what's wrong? Are you in pain? Are you okay? Please tell me," Lucas asked, worry in his eyes. She took both his hands and placed them on her stomach. He looked up at her in confusion, "Hales, you're scaring me. What's wrong?" Then he felt it. A slight fluttering and bump against his hand. He gasped as he looked down to her stomach then back up to Haley, who now had a small smile on her face. "It kicked…" he whispered dazedly then leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on her stomach. He ran his hands over her belly, trying to feel the baby kick again. One of his hands snaked under blouse and he began to gently run his fingernails over her stomach in soothing movements. He was rewarded with another kick and he smiled, tears in his eyes. It was so amazing, feeling their child moving inside. He leaned his head down and tenderly kissed her lips, lasting several minutes.

There was a knock on the door and it opened, "Hey Coach- oops, sorry." Haley and Lucas pulled away from each other, frightened expressions momentarily crossing their faces as if they were little kids being caught with their hands in the cookie jar. " Chad, get out of here," Lucas yelled as he pointed towards the locker room where the boy had come from. He left and Lucas sighed, resting his head on her shoulder, "Sorry." She ran a hand through his blonde locks and sighed too, "It's alright. I should get going anyway. I still have some papers to grade before my History class starts. I'll see you later," she pecked him on the lips and slid off the desk. "Wait, one more time before you go," he asked, placing his hand back on her stomach. A few moments later, the baby kicked and he smiled then hugged her, "Thank you, for giving me Katie and Derek; and thank you for giving me another child, for giving me the chance to feel our child kick." She nodded, tears rising to her eyes again as she wrapped her arms around him, "I love you." "I love you too," he responded as he leaned down and kissed her softly. "Alright, I better go," she replied. He nodded and watched her leave his office.

"Hey guys! Come here," Chad called out to his teammates after he had left Lucas' office. Once they were all gathered around him he told them what he had seen transpire. "I saw Coach feelin' up Ms. James! His hands were under her shirt and they were kissing…" He saw the boys' faces turn from excited and interested to shy and they looked away from him. Chad froze. "He's behind me, isn't he," Chad asked. They nodded and he slowly turned around to face Lucas. "Uh, hey Coach, how you doin'?" Lucas stood there with his hands on his hips and an angry expression on his face. "For your information Chad, and for all of you, I was not 'feelin up Ms. James'. Ms. James is my fiancé and she is carrying my child, so I have a right to touch her. Our baby kicked for the first time and I was feeling the baby move when we were so rudely interrupted," Lucas glared at Chad, "You knock and wait for an answer before entering my office. That goes for all of you. Chad, one hundred suicides when we get to the gym." "Aww Coach, I was only-" Chad protested but Lucas stopped him with another hard glare. "Don't test me on this," Lucas growled, "Everybody to the gym!"

Haley pulled out the stereo from under the counter and turned it on, trying to find a station she liked. She finally found one and a soft song filled her ears as she danced barefoot across the floor of the café. Karen and Deb were on a retreat with the small business league and Delaney was home with a sick kid so Haley had offered to watch the café in the evenings after school let out. She cleaned a few tables as she continued to dance, slowly twirling in circles and swaying to the music. He smiled as he watched her dance alone from outside the café through the large plate glass window. He quietly slipped inside and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, placing his hands on her stomach. Haley jumped slightly, startled, then turned and wrapped her arms around his neck, "Lucas!" He kissed her tenderly on the lips as they began to move slowly together, the soft tunes of 'I Do (Cherish You)' by 98 Degrees coming over the speakers. She wrapped her left arm around his torso and he pulled her close with his right arm, placing his left hand on her stomach nestled between their bodies. He smiled as he felt the small movements of their child against his hand and he looked down to Haley, who looked up to him with a soft grin. Lucas slowly leaned down while Haley stood on her tip toes, their lips meeting in the middle for a gentle kiss that seemed to last forever as they continued to dance together.


	35. Chapter 35 Boredom and A Chat With the

**Author's Note: **Hey guys! Sorry it's been a little bit since the last update. I had some writer's block so excuse me if the chapter is a little crappy. I've decided to end FOWB at 40 chapters and since this is Chapter 35, we don't have much longer to go. Anyways, not much else to say other than I'm trying to work on TSS but that is proving to be hard as well. I hope you like this chapter! As always, please read and review!

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing. One Tree Hill and its characters are property of the WB.

**Rating: **K+ to T

**Finding Our Way Back **

**Chapter 35 – Boredom and A Chat With the Girls **

Lucas awoke to the retching sound of Haley throwing up in the bathroom early that Saturday morning. He rose from the bed and went to the bathroom, crouching down beside her, holding her hair and rubbing her back in soothing circles as she emptied the contents of her stomach. Once she was sure nothing else was coming up, she leaned back into Lucas' strong chest and rested her head in the crook of his neck. "Thanks," she whispered. He kissed her temple and stroked her hair, "Why don't you go back to bed and get some rest?" She shook her head slightly, "No, I'm already up. I won't be able to go back to sleep." Lucas helped her up off the floor and she went to the closet, grabbing some clothes then retreated back to the bathroom for a shower.

"Hey, I'm going to go take a walk, okay? I'll be back in a little bit," Haley said as she entered the living room, pulling on a light sweater, "Why don't you take the kids down to the rivercourt? They've been wanting to play basketball for days." "Alright, you be careful okay? Call me if you need anything," Lucas responded as he pushed some hair out of her face and kissed her forehead. "I will," she responded as she gently pecked him on the lips, "bye." "See you later," he replied as he gave her one last light squeeze around her waist then let her go.

Haley walked around town for about fifteen minutes before she decided to go to the café to get something to drink and talk with Kyla and Karen. She hadn't had the time to sit down and talk with them in a while, always busy with school or the kids. She entered the café and noticed that it was pretty much dead compared to other Saturday mornings; it was usually very busy on weekends. Karen was slowly wiping the countertops with a dishtowel as she stared off into space and Kyla was sitting on a stool, boredly flipping through an old outdated magazine. "Wow guys, don't look to happy or excited now. You might lose all your customers," Haley replied with a smile as she carefully slid onto a stool beside Kyla, "this place is dead." "Tell me about it," Kyla mumbled as she turned another page then dropped the magazine on the counter with a flop in exasperation, "I'm bored." "Why don't we all go sit down at one of the tables and chat for a little while," Karen suggested. "That's a great idea Karen," Kyla exclaimed as her eyes brightened. "Good, because my butt is starting to hurt from sitting on this stool," Haley grimaced as she slid to the ground and rubbed her back with her hand. "Aw, poor Hales. Is your back hurting again," Kyla asked in a sympathizing tone. "My back always hurts. I swear I've nearly gained as much weight as when I was pregnant with Katie and Derek and they were born small. Well, at least Derek was," Haley complained, "plus being short doesn't help either." "Don't worry Shorty, I'll rub your back for you," Kyla replied with a smile, rubbing her shoulder as she wrapped an arm around her.

Haley formed a disgruntled pout on her face and crossed her arms over chest in protest to the nickname but sat down sideways in a chair so Kyla could work on her back. "So what do you guys want to talk about," Haley asked. "I don't-" Karen started but Kyla cut her off. "Oh, I know! So Haley, how's yours and Lucas' sex life?" "Kyla!" Karen and Haley both exclaimed at the same time. "What? I'm not getting laid so I have to live vicariously through someone and Karen sure ain't getting any since she's single so you're the only person left," Kyla replied nonchalantly. "I know there's an underlying meaning to that remark Ky," Karen responded, "I know I'm getting on in my years." "You're not that old Karen. You're not even forty yet and you're still good looking, you could still snag yourself a hottie to settle down with," Kyla replied. "Thanks for the vote of confidence Ky but I'm too old to be hitting the dating scene again. I haven't been on a date since I was sixteen and that was before Lucas was born." "My god woman, you don't need a makeover, you need an exorcism! Bring that wild child side out of you, make you a teenager again," Kyla said with wide eyes. Haley laughed and so did Karen. "Nah, I don't think so. My dating days are over. I guess the next step is becoming an old spinster lady with tons of cats," Karen joked. "Karen, you hate cats," Haley laughed.

"Oh, then you should get a dog! They're nice, sensitive, loyal, caring. They're better than any man you could get," Kyla suggested with a bright smile as the idea popped in her head. "I beg to differ," Haley objected with a wide grin, "but I have the perfect man. Lucas is better than any dog." Kyla stuck her tongue out at her friend, "Well not every man is as perfect as Lucas. You're lucky you snagged him." "Snagged him? I knew they were destined to be together the day they met," Karen replied. "Karen, we met when we were two years old! How could you know when we were that young," Haley asked with a laugh. "I just knew," Karen smiled with a twinkle in her eye, "speaking of, how far have you guys gotten on planning the wedding? You told me you wanted to have it in April or May, that's only about a month or two from now." Haley lowered her head and mumbled, "We haven't really started planning anything…" Kyla's eyes widened in surprise, "What? Your wedding is almost a month or two away and you haven't done anything? Are you crazy? Have you two even set a date yet?" "No," Haley said quietly. "What? Oh my god! We're going to remedy this situation right now. Karen, I'll be back in a little bit. I'm going to run down to the store and buy a bunch of bridal magazines and go to the florist and grab a catalog. We have to start planning this wedding! I can't believe you haven't done anything yet," Kyla exclaimed as she stood from her seat and went to grab her purse from behind the counter.

Haley shrugged, "We thought of most of the important stuff when we were six years old. Plus with everything that's happened lately, with me being in the hospital and everything, we decided to put it off a little bit until I was feeling better. We've been really busy, especially me with final exams and everything, so we really haven't had time to sit down and talk about it." "You planned the important stuff when you were six years old," Karen questioned with a raised eyebrow and a knowing smile on her face. Haley rolled her eyes, "We were lying under our tree one day and Lucas asked if I thought we would get married someday. I said maybe and then he asked me what my dream wedding was like. I told him that I wanted it simple, with him in a traditional black tux and me in a simple white dress and we would get married under our tree. I don't think I'll look good in a simple white dress now though." Haley looked down at her stomach and ran a hand over it. "Aw Hales, we'll find you a simple, pretty dress that you'll look beautiful in, I promise," Kyla responded as she walked over and hugged her. "Thanks Ky," Haley replied. "Okay, now I'm gonna go to the store and the florist so I'll be back in a little bit. Have fun! Don't plan the wedding without me," Kyla called out as she exited the café.

Once Kyla had come back, the three of them had spent an hour or two trying to plan the wedding and looking at dresses but they had barely gotten anywhere. All of this was frustrating Haley because she was tired and she wanted Lucas' opinion on the flowers and place settings and all that stuff. They hadn't even picked out a place for the reception yet. They were now taking a little break while eating lunch and they talked casually about the wedding. "So of course you want Katie and Derek to be the flower girl and the ring bearer. Have you thought about bridesmaids and groomsmen," Kyla asked. Haley smiled as she rolled her eyes, " Yes Ky, you're going to be the maid of honor." Kyla shrieked in excitement and hugged her. When she pulled away, Haley asked, "Did you honestly think I wouldn't choose you?" "Well, I had my doubts…" Kyla pouted then grinned, signaling she was joking. "Ky, you're my best friend, besides Lucas anyway, of course I would choose you," Haley responded as she placed her hand on Kyla's arm, "I don't know what we're going to do about groomsmen though. Lucas doesn't really have any guy friends around here. I suppose he could call one of his basketball buddies from the team."

"Have a Lakers player at your wedding? That will cause a lot of publicity. Then your wedding won't be so simple anymore. Reporters and photographers will want to be there," Karen supplied. Haley scrunched her face, "Then maybe not. I'll have to talk to Lucas about it, see what he wants to do. I think I kind of want more than one bridesmaid, but I don't know who either." "What about Heather," Kyla asked. "You know, I thought about that but she's one of my students…We're close but I would feel a little awkward with her up there with me, you know? Besides, it would look kind of weird with her walking down the aisle with someone like seven or eight years older than her." "True," Karen replied. Haley waved her hand in dismissal, "Let's just worry about it later. We'll figure it out once I talk to Lucas. Listen, this has all been fun guys but I'm tired. I need to go home and take a nap." "Alright, you go home and get some rest sweetie," Karen responded as she rubbed her back then helped her up out of her chair. "See you guys later," Haley responded as she grabbed her purse and walked towards the doors of the café.

"Hey honey, how was the wedding planning with the girls," Lucas asked as he looked up from the book he was reading when he saw her enter. "Exhausting," Haley sighed as she lowered herself onto the couch and snuggled into his chest, "We need to set a date, you know." "Yeah, how about April 15th," he asked. "Wow, that was out of the blue," she mumbled sleepily, "but no, I'll be busy with exams and everything still. I don't want to be stressing out over grading exams and having the wedding too. Let's do it after school is out for the summer." "Okay, how about May 20th? School let's out about a week and half before that so we'll have a little time to relax and spend time with the kids before we have the wedding and go on our honeymoon." She turned to him with confusion in her eyes, "Honeymoon? We didn't discuss that. What about the kids?" "They're going to stay with my mom. The honeymoon is my surprise, and no, I'm not telling you where we're going," he responded with a smile when he saw she opened her mouth to speak.

She closed it and pouted as she crossed her arms, "You're no fun." "Oh, but our honeymoon will be," he smirked. "Lucas, we will not be able to have sex when I am seven, almost eight months pregnant, I'll be fatter than I already am now!" Tears welled in her eyes and she sniffled, "Maybe we shouldn't have the wedding right now. I won't look good in a wedding dress. I'm too fat." "Hales, honey, you're not fat. You're beautiful and gorgeous and I love you. You're going to look stunning in your gown, I promise," he hugged her as he kissed her cheek softly and stroked her hair. "Thank you," Haley sniffled as she buried her head in the crook of his neck. "Will you come lay down with me? I'm tired and I'm going to go take a nap." He nodded and helped her up from the couch and guided her to the bedroom. They laid down and Lucas wrapped his arms around her body, kissing her forehead lightly before whispering into her ear, "I love you." "Love you too," she mumbled with her eyes closed, drifting off fast asleep.


	36. Chapter 36 Friends of Our Past

**Author's Note: **Hey guys! Alright, so got inspired by the though of this story almost being done and wrote another chapter and I couldn't wait to post it. It's kind of bland but the next few chapters will be fun I promise! They'll have to be because we're getting near the end here! FOUR more chapters! Anyways, I hope you like this chapter even though it's boring and dull. As always, please read and review!

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing. One Tree Hill and its characters are property of the WB.

**Rating: **K+ to T

**Finding Our Way Back **

**Chapter 36 – Friends of Our Past **

Over the last few days, ever since she'd had the discussion of wedding plans with Kyla and Karen, Haley had been thinking a lot about the wedding and what they were going to do about the bridesmaids and groomsmen. Lucas had agreed that it would be too much publicity if he invited one of the players from his old team to the wedding. She would often walk around town for a little while or visit their tree, wondering back on all their times together. As she remembered back on their high school days, Haley, more often than not, found herself thinking about Peyton and Brooke. They had become such good friends months before Haley had left town and even then she had pretty much avoided them the last two weeks before that because of all the chaos going on her life right then with the news of her pregnancy. She had been closer with Peyton than Brooke, but they all had formed a close bond and she had missed them terribly. She hated leaving them without saying goodbye or even leaving them a note, but she knew that if she went to say goodbye to them, all three of them would get emotional and they would ask why she was leaving and she wasn't ready to tell them right then. She wondered now where they were and how they were doing.

Haley pulled out a box from the closet and scooted it over to the bed, carefully crouching down and picking it up, placing it on the bed. She then sat down on the bed in front of the box and slowly opened the flaps, being hit with tons of memories by the many pictures inside. She gently lifted a big photo album from the box and set it in her lap, at least in what was the rest of her lap that hadn't yet been taken over by her growing stomach. Haley placed her hand on her belly and rubbed slowly, smiling as she felt the small movements of her child against her hand and from inside. She opened it and was immediately bombarded with photographs of her and Lucas in their freshman year. As she turned the pages, it showed them as sophomores, then as juniors, and finally seniors. Haley's face fell as she noticed that the pictures of her and Lucas had started to diminish at the end of their junior year and had been filled with pictures of her, Peyton, and Brooke. Some were even of her and Nathan and instantly some of her guilt came rushing back, along with her anger at him for reacting the way he did when she told him she was pregnant. She couldn't blame him though. She was the one who had cheated, been unfaithful. Tears stung her eyes as she started to cry.

Even though she felt guilty for what she had done to Nathan, she didn't regret sleeping with Lucas that night. That night had given her two beautiful, wonderful children and she wouldn't give them up for anything. It had also brought her and Lucas together as well, but she wished that Lucas would have confessed his feelings to her five years ago, before she had started dating Nathan. But then that would mean she probably wouldn't have Katie and Derek or be pregnant with another one on the way right now. She sometimes wondered what would have come of her if she hadn't gotten pregnant at eighteen. Would she and Lucas still have gotten together? Would they have even still been friends after that night? For the three months after Lucas had gone to Charleston with Keith, he hadn't even once called her. She hadn't really made an effort either, but she hadn't called him mostly out of guilt. She was still battling the war within her for cheating on Nathan. She had tried to call him that one time to try and tell him about being pregnant, but she had chickened out the minute she heard his voice over the line. She knew he would throw away everything that was going good for him and rush back to be with her, if not for her then for their child, and it would only be out of obligation, if she had told him. She thought he hadn't loved her that way back then. She wondered where they would be now if she had told him she was pregnant that day. Would they already be married, have more kids? Probably, she thought to herself. They were so in love they couldn't keep their hands off each other, which you could obviously tell from the round bump of her stomach.

She looked at the pictures some more, even moving onto another album where they were younger. She laughed at the picture of Lucas' tenth birthday when Haley had smashed a piece of cake in his face. The look on his face was priceless. She turned the page and her smile grew wider as she remembered all those times at the rivercourt sitting on the picnic table with Mouth while she watch Luke and the guys play basketball for hours. The picture was of her, Lucas, Mouth, Skills, Junk, and Fergie all standing together with their arms around each other and smiles on their faces. A tear slid down her cheek as she remembered all their fun times together before Lucas had joined the basketball and both of them had been drawn in to the spotlight of popularity. She then looked at a picture of her, Lucas, Brooke, Peyton, Jake, and Nathan all standing together. Her gaze drifted to another picture in her hands. Peyton had her arms tightly around her from Haley's left side and Brooke was on Haley's right with her arms wrapped around both of the other girls as best she could. They were all laughing. More tears began to slide down her cheeks as she thought back on all their fun times; their talks, the sleepovers, the shopping trips, just hanging out and being girls. It had felt good finally having some girlfriends to talk to and hang out with after having Lucas and the guys at the rivercourt as her friends for over a decade.

Lucas entered the bedroom and concern immediately filled his eyes at seeing her crying on their bed. He quickly walked over and sat down beside her, stroking her hair and caressing her cheek with his thumb, "Honey, what's wrong? Why are you crying?" She showed him the three pictures she had been staring at, "I-I miss them. I miss Peyton and Brooke. T-They were my best friends besides you and they were the first real girlfriends I had before Ky…I-I never got to say goodbye to them before I left Tree Hill…" Haley sobbed and he wrapped his arms around her. "Sh…" he stroked her hair and began to rock her, "I've got an idea. Why don't I call around and find everybody and we can organize a little reunion get together. How does that sound?" She nodded against his chest and whispered, "Thank you." "You lie here and rest while I make some phone calls and try to find everyone," Lucas kissed her forehead and moved the box so she could lay down then quietly left the room so she could sleep.

A few hours later, Lucas finally exited the office and went back into the bedroom to check on Haley. He thankfully had been able to get a hold of everybody and they all had agreed that a reunion was in need of happening. Brooke and Peyton had started screaming hysterically at the mention of Haley's name then started crying. They all had agreed to come down the next weekend since it was the only time all of them could take off. Haley was awake and reading a book and when she noticed him standing there staring at her, she smiled. "They're all coming down next weekend," he said as he sat down beside her. She hugged him and kissed his mouth gently, "Thank you for doing this for me."


	37. Chapter 37 At First Sight

**Author's Note: **Hey guys! Third update in one day! I'm on a roll! We haven't had a day like this one in a while! I guess it's all this inspiration I got because this story is finally almost over. Well, it's also because I had most of this chapter already written. It's longer than the usual chapter so you'll be happy about that. THREE more chapters left! Yes, I'm beginning a countdown! The next chapter will be a continuation of this chapter, starting up where we left off at the end of this chapter. Anyways, I hope you guys like it! As always, please read and review!

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing. One Tree Hill and its characters are property of the WB.

**Rating: **K+ to T

**Finding Our Way Back **

**Chapter 37 – At First Sight **

"Hales, can you get the kids ready? I've got to start grilling the food," Lucas called out as he grabbed a platter off of the kitchen counter. "Yeah," she shouted from somewhere in the apartment. "You going to be okay getting them ready by yourself? I don't want you to strain or hurt yourself," Lucas asked concernedly. "I'll be fine, I've dressed them by myself before," Haley rolled her eyes. "Alright, I'll be outside if you need me," he responded as he walked out the back door to the barbeque grill. They had decided to go easy with the food since there were going to be so many people there and they had opted for the traditional picnic food of hamburgers and hotdogs, potato and macaroni salad, various kinds of chips, baked beans, and other different side dishes including macaroni and cheese for Haley and the kids.

In the kids' room, Haley dressed Katie and Derek as she talked to them about what would happen that day. "Okay guys, you two be good and nice today. We have some of Mommy and Daddy's old friends coming over and they're going to bring their kids with them. You guys can play inside or outside but don't run around the house and let me know if you go outside so I can keep an eye on you, okay?" They nodded and replied in unison, "Okay Mommy." Haley smiled as she kissed Derek's forehead then Katie's cheek and set them down on the floor. "You two go play," she said and called out as they started to run off, "try not to get dirty!" Haley sank down onto a nearby armchair for a few minutes to rest then looked at her watch. Everyone would be here soon. So she slowly rose from the chair and went to go set the table with food and condiments for the hamburgers and hotdogs. They had pulled two large picnic tables together, because of their many guests, and placed a checkered tablecloth over it, making sure to pin it down with clamps. Lucas came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, "It's almost time. Are you ready?" She knew there was more than one meaning to that question. She sucked in a deep breath and nodded. He kissed her tenderly on the mouth and hugged her before saying he needed to return to the grill so the food wouldn't burn.

Haley was setting out plates and silverware on the picnic table outside in back of the apartment when a car pulled into a parking spot, unheard by her. A young man and woman around the same age exited the car and while the man opened the door to the backseat, the woman raced across the grass towards the unsuspecting Haley until she screamed out, "Haley!" At her name, she turned and Peyton slowed down considerably so as not to hurt her when she engulfed her in a large, tight hug. Tears welled in the blonde's eyes as she rambled in her emotional state, "Oh my god, Haley! We tried so hard to find you…we-we didn't know where you went… we thought something had happened to you…" Haley's eyes moistened too as she comforted her friend by stroking her hair and rubbing her back, "Sh, it's alright. I'm here now. I'm sorry I didn't tell you I was leaving…" "Where did you go," Peyton asked in a shaky voice, "and why did you leave Tree Hill, why did you leave us?" Haley acquired a confused expression on her face, "Luke didn't tell you?" Peyton shook her head as Lucas came up behind Haley and placed his hand on her lower back, "I figured it was your place to tell them. That and I didn't want to explain it every time I called someone. Too much work."

Haley hit him lightly in the chest and he feigned hurt, "Ow!" She replied, "You're such a big baby. Now go get that lazy ass over to the barbecue before you burn the food!" He smirked back, "Oh you know you love this ass!" "Yeah, your ass is one of a kind; it's a lazy ass, a smartass, a jackass… I could go on, but I don't want to hurt your feelings," she smiled back, responding in a joking manner. He placed both hands over his heart, "Ouch. I guess me and my ass will have to go elsewhere since we're apparently not wanted here." He turned around with his nose stuck up in the air and swayed his hips a little as he sauntered away, knowing she was looking. Both Haley and Peyton laughed hysterically at his actions for a few minutes until they finally calmed down. Peyton's serious look returned to her face as she asked, "Haley, why did you leave? And where did you go?"

They were once again interrupted by another screaming person, "Tutor Girl!" "Brooke," Haley smiled as she called out to the brunette. "Oh my god, you're pregnant!" Brooke shrieked in excitement. They embraced as she too became teary as Peyton had. "Where have you been the last five years? Peyton, Jake, and I searched everywhere for you. We checked phone books and campuses, we even asked your parents. Why did you leave," Brooke inquired as her bottom lip trembled. She wiped the other girl's tears away with her thumbs and gave her a small smile, "I was just getting to that." Brooke nodded as both she and Peyton waited expectantly for her to explain.

"When I left Tree Hill, I went to New York and I've been there ever since up until about a year ago when I moved back here," Haley responded. "What were you doing in New York," Brooke asked. "Seen any good movies lately," Haley inquired, but both of the other girls thought she was trying to avoid that topic. "Hales, don't try and change the subject. What were you doing in New York," Peyton said concernedly. "Well, I went to college there and then I became an actress. That's why I asked if you guys had seen any movies because I've been in some pretty popular movies, a few were box office hits. Where have you guys been? Living in a dark hole?" "Yeah, we have ever since our best friend left us without any goodbye and never contacted us. We were so worried about you. But you still haven't told us why you left Tree Hill in the first place," Peyton responded. Haley fidgeted with her hands as she looked down to the ground then back up to her two friends, "I left because I was pregnant."

Both had shocked expressions on their faces and Brooke's eyes bulged in surprise, and maybe a little in fear, Haley noted. "Was it Nathan's," Brooke asked quietly. Haley shook her head no and looked back to Lucas at the barbeque and smiled. In that instant, Lucas looked up too, and smiled as well when his gaze met hers. "Lucas," Peyton inquired, seeing at the exchange between the two. "Yeah," Haley responded in a distracted and dreamy tone then turned to them and said seriously, "I know what you guys are thinking and nothing happened between us while either of you were together. We um, you know, the night before he left for Charleston and I never saw him after that until almost a year ago when he moved back here too, about a month after I did." "You never told him," Peyton asked incredulously. Haley shook her head, "I knew he wanted to go to college and play pro basketball. I didn't want to take away his dreams; he'd worked too hard for them to just be washed away because I was pregnant."

"Hello ladies," Jake greeted with a six-year-old Jenny beside him, then hugged Haley, "Haley, it's good to have you home and safe again. We were worried something had happened to you, we searched everywhere." She smiled at the two girls beside her then turned back to Jake, "Yeah, so I'm told. Thank you guys for caring so much to try and find me." She hugged all three of them then Jake asked, "Haley, could you show me where I can put Jenny down for a nap? She's pretty tired from the drive." Haley replied, "Sure! Jenny can sleep in Katie's room. You guys come with me and I'll let you meet the kids." "Kids? As in more than one," Brooke asked incredulously. Haley nodded and smiled, "I had twins. I thought I was only having one, Katie, but when I was in labor, out came Derek too." "Wait, kids," Jake asked, confused, because he hadn't been in the previous conversation so he didn't know. Now realizing what Lucas had meant by telling everyone separately being too much work, she rolled her eyes and responded, "Peyton can tell you. Come on, I'll show you to the kids' room so you can get Jenny settled."

The other three followed her into the apartment and she led them to the living room where she sat on the couch and called for her kids to come, "Katie! Derek! Come in the living room please." The two entered and ran over to Haley, both shouting happily, "Mommy!" They climbed up on the couch next to her and wrapped their small arms around her neck. Haley kissed each of them and hugged them back. "Kids, I would like you to meet some of Mommy's friends. This is Brooke, Peyton, Jake, and Jake's daughter, Jenny. She's about your age," Haley introduced them, pointing to each person as she named them. Katie went to each person and stuck out her hand, saying, "Hi, my name is Katie. Nice to meet you." Derek, however, stayed by his mother. He had always been a shy child, they typical 'Mama's boy', much like Lucas had been. He did warm up to people once he got to know them though. Jake crouched down on his knees in front of Derek and offered his hand, "Hi, my name is Jake. What's yours?" "Derek," the little boy replied quietly. "Hi Derek," Jake greeted. "Hi," he answered, taking Jake's hand. "Do you like to play basketball," the man asked. Derek's face and demeanor changed to bright and excited at these words, "Yeah! Daddy and I play all the time!" "Jenny plays basketball too," Jake replied. Derek's face scrunched up, "Girls don't know how to play basketball, they suck." "Hey, I can play basketball," Katie protested loudly. "Derek Lucas Scott, we do not say 'suck' in this house," Haley said sternly. He hung his head, ashamed, and said quietly, "I'm sorry Mommy."

Haley stroked his head once, "It's okay D, just don't let it happen again, okay?" He nodded and hugged her and she returned the same gesture. "Katie, Derek, why don't you two go play outside for awhile? Jake is going to put Jenny down for a nap in your room for a little bit and after she wakes up, you guys can play alright?" "Okay Mommy," the pair replied in unison then went outside to play. "How do they do that," Brooke asked with amazement. "It's a twin thing, I guess," Haley replied with a shrug, "Jake, come with me and I'll show you where you can put Jenny." Haley struggled to get up but finally Peyton helped her from the couch and she led them to Katie and Derek's room and pointed to Katie's bed, indicating that he could let Jenny sleep there. While Jake tucked Jenny into bed, the girls went back outside to chat while waiting for the others to arrive.

"So where are you two living now? Any relationships? Peyton, I know you're still with Jake so what about you Brooke," Haley asked as they all got comfortable on chairs and Haley laid back on a chaise lounge. "Jake and I are living in Charleston. We got married three years ago, our freshman year of college," Peyton responded, raising her left hand to show her wedding ring. It was a simple gold band with a small yet generous diamond on it. "Oh my god," Haley exclaimed as she grabbed Peyton's outstretched hand, tears forming in her eyes as she looked up at her, "I-I'm sorry I missed your wedding. I bet it was beautiful; I bet you looked beautiful in your wedding dress." "Nah, we didn't really have a wedding. We just went down to City Hall one day after we got our marriage license and got married. Brooke nearly killed me when she found out," Peyton smiled at Brooke, who stuck her tongue out at her friend. "I can't believe you got married and didn't even invite me, your best friend. How rude," Brooke responded as she formed a pout and crossed her arms in indignation. Peyton and Haley laughed at the look on her face and Peyton replied, "It was spur of the moment Brooke, and you were across the country in California." "So you live in California," Haley asked, turning to Brooke. "Yep, been there ever since I graduated Tree Hill High and I went to UCLA, studied fashion, of course, and now I run my own little store out there," Brooke responded with a proud smile.

"That's great Brooke, you sound like you've done really well for yourself," Haley replied. "I have, haven't I," Brooke perked up, her smile widening. Peyton coughed while muttering under her breath, "Show off." "Oh I wouldn't be talking, Miss-I-Own-My-Own-Art-Gallery. You're doing pretty well for yourself too Blondie," Brooke responded. "Hey, at least I'm modest about it," Peyton protested, "I don't go flaunting it about like you do." "Hey," Brooke exclaimed, "I'm modest." "Oh please," Peyton flipped her hand, "You? You're anything but modest Brooke. Remember the clothes you used to wear in high school? Definitely not modest." "Hey, how did this change from what we're doing with our lives to the way I dressed in high school? Are you calling me a slut?" "Yep," Peyton grinned jokingly. "Bitch," Brooke replied good naturedly. "Hey, stop with the foul language! We've got baby ears around," Haley shouted to interrupt their bickering, placing a hand on her stomach, "I don't want my child's first word to be a bad word." "Sorry," the both replied.

"So how far along are you," Peyton asked. "I'm about five months, probably about twenty-one weeks," Haley answered, rubbing the round bump. "You look good, Hales. Pregnancy suits you. You were always the motherly type; I always imagined you with tons of kids," Peyton smiled. "Tons of kids? Please don't mention that to Lucas," Haley replied with a groan. "Peyton's right though, pregnancy does suit you. You look so…at home…being pregnant; glowing," Brooke responded as she gazed at her friend, a soft smile on her face. Haley stared down at her large stomach and replied in a soft emotional voice, tears welling behind her eyes, "I look like a blimp." Lucas, who was nearby, walked over and leaned down, wrapping his arms around her shoulders from behind. "No you don't," he murmurs quietly then kisses her neck, "You look beautiful."

No one but her notices Nathan approaching the group because of the way everybody else's chairs were turned. Tears started to well in her eyes even more as she remembered the last time she'd seen him and the words he'd said to her. _"We're over. Don't even try to talk to me; I don't want to see you ever again."_ Brooke responded in a cooing tone, "Aww, how sweet. Now who would have thought Tutor Girl would get pregnant in high school? I know I sure didn't. I always thought I'd be the one." Nathan finally reached the group and heard the last of what Brooke had said. Haley moved from Lucas' hold as he was still kissing her neck and got up from the chaise lounge, moving into the apartment as quickly as she could before anyone could see her crying. Nathan looked after her for a moment before turning his gaze back to the group, a smirk on his face, "You and the whole rest of the school, Brooke." She gets an appalled expression on her face and hits him hard in the chest with the back of her hand, "That's it mister! You're sleeping on the hardwood floor tonight. No bed for you. No couch either. And don't you even think for a minute you're getting laid tonight…" She stopped when she saw the shocked expressions of all her friends' faces, realizing that she had let slip her secret. "Oops," she mumbled under her breath.


	38. Chapter 38 Who Would Have Thought?

**Author's Note: **Hey guys! I'm back with another chapter! It's another long one! The longest yet I think. As I said before, this chapter will start where the last chapter left off. TWO more chapters left! Then it's over! I hope you guys all like this chapter! I tried to make it funny and lighthearted. As always, please read and review!

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing. One Tree Hill and its characters are property of the WB.

**Rating: **K+ to T

P.S.- Sorry if there are a ton of mistakes. I'm posting this at three in the morning so please forgive me. I'll fix them later when I'm more awake.

**Finding Our Way Back **

**Chapter 38 – Who Would Have Thought? **

"Brooke, you and Nathan," Peyton questioned disbelievingly, "Now who would have thought you two would hook up? You guys have such similar personalities. How do you guys manage to find a balance and not butt heads all the time?" Brooke smiled at her friend and wrapped an arm around Nathan's back then smiled up at him before changing her focus back to Peyton, "We've grown up, matured. We started dating sophomore year of college and we've been together ever since." "Wow…" Peyton and Jake uttered in amazement. "Brooke, you mean all those mystery dates and all the times I asked you about who you were going out with, it was really Nathan," Peyton inquired. "Yeah, we kind of wanted to keep our relationship under wraps for awhile, see how it went. We weren't sure at first so we decided to keep it a secret for awhile."

"Three years Brooke? You call that 'awhile'? That's like…I don't know what it's called but that's a long time, especially for you. This is big. Why didn't you tell me? You could at least have told me," Peyton replied. "That's exactly my point, Peyton. This is a big deal for me, for both of us. We haven't exactly had a good track record with relationships. So we decided to take it slow and not tell anybody yet; it was our little secret. After awhile, it just became second nature at hiding it. I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I didn't want to screw anything up," Brooke gazed at her with pleading eyes. Peyton hugged her, "It's okay." Once Brooke pulled away, she noticed that Lucas was just standing there and hadn't said a word. He was staring worriedly back at the apartment. "Hey Lucas, aren't you going to see if Haley is okay? She looked kind of upset when she left," Brooke questioned. "I know," he replied, running a hand through his hair, "I'm just giving her a few minutes to pull herself together before I go talk to her or she'll be really pissed at me. She gets embarrassed when someone catches her crying, especially since it happens frequently now, her being pregnant and all. She told me that hormones can really make her nuts sometimes and I can attest to that. It's just a really emotional time for her." All nodded in understanding.

"Well, I'm going to go see how she is. I'll be back in a little bit," Lucas said a few minutes later. He walked into the apartment and entered the kitchen, finding Haley dabbing at her eyes with a Kleenex. He wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and gently kissed her temple. "You okay," he asked softly. "Yeah," she sniffled, "It's just so hard…seeing Nathan…after all this time and how we left things…" Fresh tears fell down her cheeks and she wiped them away with her hand. "I'm sorry. I thought I was doing the right thing by inviting him. Should I not have," Lucas gazed at her concernedly. She patted his arm and rubbed it up and down, "No, it's okay. He's your brother and this reunion is not only for me, it's for you too. I just- the last time we saw each other, I told him I was pregnant and that it was yours and he told me her never wanted to see me again…and now he's here…" She wiped at her cheeks again and Lucas gently took her hand into his own, "Sh, everything will be alright." Both are silent for a few moments as Haley calms down in his arms.

"Want to know something surprising," he asked. She nodded as she leaned back against his chest. "Nathan and Brooke are dating, have been dating. For three years. I never thought those two would get together; they're both so alike." "I don't think it's so surprising. We're both so alike and look how good we are together," she smiled up at him then leaned her head back in the crook of his neck and kissed his cheek, breathing in his familiar scent, feeling content in the moment. "We should probably get back out there or they might start thinking we're doing something naughty in the kitchen," he flashed her a devilish smirk, a mischievous gleam in his eyes. "Look whose mind is in the gutter," Haley replied with a grin. "What? It's not like we haven't done it before," he responded with a seductive smile. "Besides, it's not like we could do it anyway," she pointed to her large stomach. His smirk grew even wider, "That never stopped us either."

"Lucas, not now. We have company," she replied, pulling away from him slightly. "But later, right," he asked hopefully. "Maybe," she smiled as sidled up to him, lightly grazing her body against his, "If you're good." Then she felt the baby kick. She quickly placed her hand on her belly and grinned, "Oh! The baby kicked!" She took his hand and placed it on her stomach where the baby had last moved, "Feel it?" Lucas nodded, rubbing his hand over the round bump, "Can you believe we'll be parents again in a few months?" She placed her hand beside his and smiled up at him, "It's amazing, isn't it?" "Yeah…" he then gets a serious look on his face, "Don't get scared okay?" A confused expression appeared on her face, "What, why? Lucas, what are you talking about?" "This," he carefully picked her up. "Luke," she shrieked. He placed her on top of the kitchen counter. "Luke, what did you do that for? Now I can't get down," Haley exclaimed.

"Precisely. And I wanted to kiss my wife," he kissed her tenderly on the lips, "and child…" He raised her shirt up a little to expose the protruding bump and kissed her belly. Haley grinned, "You know, we're not married yet. There's still time for one of us to back out." "You wouldn't," he replied jokingly. Haley pretended to think about it for a moment, "Maybe. Or maybe I'll keep you around for a while. I'm going to need some help with the new little one." She smiled and rubbed her stomach tenderly. He kissed her collarbone and laid his head against her chest, nuzzling her breasts and placing a gentle kiss on each one. "I love you," her murmured softly. She wrapped her arms around him and ran one hand through his hair at the back of his head. "I love you too," she responded in the same quiet tone.

Lucas leaned down and kissed her stomach, "I love you too baby." He ran his hands over her belly and kissed it again. At this exact moment, with his lips on her stomach, Brooke walked in. A shocked expression appeared on her face at the sight. From her vantage point behind Haley, she saw that her long skirt pooled around her thighs and her shirt was ridden up over her stomach, resting just under her bra. Brooke called out to everyone in the backyard, "Hey guys! I told you those two little horny toads would be getting it on in the kitchen because they were gone so long!" Lucas quickly pulled away at Brooke's voice and Haley pulled her shirt back down. They both could hear groans of disgust from outside. "Nobody eat the food, it's probably contaminated," Nathan shouted. Haley scooted to the edge of the counter and Lucas helped her down. "Oh no, don't stop on our account. By all means, go ahead," Brooke replied with a wave of her hand, "we'll be waiting outside when you're done." "Brooke," Haley replied exasperatedly.

"Hey guys! Skills and Fergie are here! And they've got a sweet ride," Jake shouted from outside. Lucas wrapped his arm around Haley, rubbed her shoulder and kissed her forehead, "Come on, let's go greet the guys." They walked outside to find Skills and Fergie hugging and talking to everyone. Skills was the first to spot them and he grabbed Lucas' outstretched hand, pulling him in for a hug, "Luke man, it's good to see you." He then turned to Haley and lifted both her hands in the air, inspecting her, "Damn girl, congratulations! Luke's the father, right?" Haley rolled her eyes and grinned, "Yes he's the father Skills, as he is the father of the rest of my brood. They're running around here somewhere." "The rest of your brood? Damn, how many kids do you have," Skills asked, his eyes wide. "Two," Haley responded. "Two! Jeez, you two procreatin' like little bunny rabbits! Where are the little rascals," Skills replied with a shake of his head. Haley laughed, "I had twins, Skills." "Twins the first time out? Way to go Luke," Skills patted him on the back. "Katie and Derek are probably inside playing on the PlayStation or watching television. Mention basketball and they'll be your friends for life," Haley laughed. "Okay, I'm going to go find the little rugrats," Skills replied, "see you two later."

They greeted Fergie and all talked for awhile then Mouth arrived. They gaped in shock when he opened the car door for his wife and came around the car with her, their two year old daughter in his arms. His wife was none other than former Tree Hill High president, Erica Marsh. "Erica," Brooke shrieked in excitement and raced over, hugging her. "Brooke," Erica screamed back. "Hey Mouth," Haley grinned as she embraced him, "it's good to see you." "You too, Haley. You look great," Mouth smiled. "Thanks," she responded. "Sorry we're late. Lizzie kept getting fussy from riding in her car seat for so long. We had to make a few stops." "Hey no problem, I know how that is," Haley said, "the kids were like that when I moved down here from New York. I had twins, they're five years old," Haley smiled as she watched Mouth's confused expression turn into understanding. "Can I hold her," Haley asked, gesturing to the little girl. "Sure," he responded as he handed her over. "Hey Lizzie, I'm one of your daddy's friends. We've known each other for a long time. You're such a big girl. How old are you," she asked her. She slowly held up two fingers. "She's a little shy," Mouth said as he stroked her hair. Haley grinned as she looked at Mouth, "Just like her father. She's a daddy's girl, isn't she?" "Yes she is," he replied.

"Hey Hales, the food is almost done. Can you grab some napkins and another platter," Lucas called out. "Yeah," she replied, handing Lizzie back over to her father and touching her index finger to the girl's nose, smiling, "I'll see you later, cutie." Lizzie gave her a toothless grin and waved to her as she went off back into the apartment. Haley returned outside a few minutes later holding a platter, a stack of napkins, and her glass of Iced Tea. As she walked across the yard, she suddenly felt a sharp, painful kick from inside. She stopped and leaned over a little bit, which caused her to drop the napkins that were on the platter. She bit her bottom lip in pain as her eyes started to water and she fought not to cry. She took in a deep breath and stood still for a few more moments, waiting for the pain to subside. Nathan, who was only a few feet away, walked over and bent down, picking up the napkins. He slowly rose back up to his full height and took the platter from her, to which she then quickly wrapped her arm around her stomach and closed her eyes shut. "Are you okay," he asked concernedly, his voice soft. "I'll be alright," Haley nodded with her eyes still closed tight, whispering quietly, a whimper escaping her lips. He rushed to the table and grabbed a chair and brought it back over, placing it behind Haley so she could sit down. He helped lower her into it and she uttered a soft, "Thanks." He crouched down on the ground on one knee as he watched her worriedly, wondering if he should call Lucas over. "Should I get Lucas," he asked. "No, I'll be fine in a few minutes," she responded, her lips pursed tightly together as she breathed through the pain.

Nathan watched her concernedly for several moments, making sure nothing else happened, and finally Haley let out a heavy sigh. She rubbed her hand over her belly in slow, circular movements, trying to calm and soothe the unborn child. Nathan stared at her round stomach, remembering back on the day she had told him she was pregnant. He looked at Haley, staring at her stomach with a small smile on her face, then to Lucas, gazing at her lovingly, then to Katie and Derek off in the distance playing with Skills. They were all so happy. He hung his head in shame for reacting the way he had when she'd told him. He had been upset. Why wouldn't he have been? His girlfriend had cheated on him with his brother and gotten pregnant. How else could he react? He was over that now; had been for a long time. Somewhere deep down he'd always known Haley had liked Lucas, but had never thought it would ever amount to anything, both too blind and stubborn to notice it for themselves. Now here they were, together and happy with three kids.

"I'm sorry," he whispered as he looked down at the ground, pulling out a few strands of grass, avoiding her gaze. Haley sucked in a deep breath at his words and tears welled in her eyes, "What?" "I'm sorry I reacted that way, back then, when you told me you were pregnant. I didn't mean it, the part about never seeing you again…I was just upset. I couldn't handle seeing you right then and it just came out…" he finally raised his head to look in her eyes, "I look at you now and I see how happy you are…with Lucas and your kids…You two were meant to be. I'm so sorry Hales. Can you try to forgive me? Can we try to be friends again? I'd also like to get to know my niece and nephew better. I am their uncle after all." Tears were now falling from her eyes and streaming down her cheeks. He waited a few moments, searching her eyes deeply, trying to gauge her reaction. She finally, slowly, reached over and took his hand into her own, squeezing it lightly as a smile formed on her lips. "I'd like that," she whispered. Nathan hugged her then, tightly yet still loose so as not to hurt her or the baby, "Thank you."

"Hales, the food is done. Where did you put that platter," Lucas called out from his spot at the grill. "Be there in sec," Haley responded as she rose from her chair and grabbed the platter off the table, walking over to him. "What did he say to you," he said quietly when she approached. Haley smiled, rubbing his back to signal that everything was okay, "He apologized for the way he treated me back when I told him I was pregnant. He also said that he wanted to get to know Katie and Derek better because he's their uncle." Lucas grinned and wrapped an arm around her waist, "That's great!" A few minutes later, Lucas shouted, "Hey everyone! Dinner's ready! All of you come and sit down at the table!" "Hey Luke, I found these two kids running around. Are they yours," Skills asked as he carried Katie and Derek, sideways, one in each arm, to the table as they giggled loudly. "Don't drop them," Haley shrieked in fright. "Chill girl, I'm not gonna drop them," Skills replied as he placed the kids on the ground near the table then offered his hand out to Derek, "Come on little man, you can sit with me."

Everyone had finally drifted over to the table and settled down to eat, all talking animatedly in little groups. Haley looked up from her conversation with Peyton when she saw Brooke abruptly push her chair away from the table and stood up, her hand covering her mouth. "Bathroom," she mumbled. "Second door on your right," Haley replied quickly with concern. Nathan gazed worriedly after her for a few moments before returning to his meal. She returned ten minutes later, looking slightly pale and a little withdrawn. Nathan wrapped an arm around her waist and whispered in her ear, "You okay?" She nodded as she rested her head against his chest. "Brooke, are you pregnant," Haley asked. Nathan, who had just taken a drink of his water, now spit it out in shock, his eyes wide. Brooke's eyes had bulged out too but she responded, "No, I'm not pregnant. I think it was the potato salad. I usually don't like potato salad but it looked good so I decided to try it. I guess it didn't sit well with my stomach." Haley and Erica, the only women of the group who had been pregnant before, stared at each other then said at the same time, "Cravings." "Guys, really, I'm not pregnant. Besides, Nathan and I use…'precautionary measures' when we…do it," Brooke replied, remembering that little kids were around. "You never know Brooke," Erica responded, "Mouth and I used 'precautionary measures' and out came Lizzie nine months later." "I'm not pregnant," Brooke reiterated. "Whatever you say Brooke," Haley smiled then looked at Erica, both with skeptical expressions on their faces.

"Okay, okay, enough of this kind of talk at the dinner table, especially around the kids," Lucas replied as he stood up, "Now I know I said that this was a reunion of sorts but there's another reason we invited you all back down here…" He took Haley's hand and smiled down at her then looked back up at all their friends surrounding them, "We're getting married." There were shrieks and shouts of happiness all around as well as a few "Congratulations" and "It's about damn time," shouted by Skills. Haley yelled as she laughed, "Skills! The kids!" "Well, since we're getting married, we wanted to invite you all to the wedding as well as name the people in the wedding party. Skills, you've been my best bud for as long as I can remember, besides Haley that is, so therefore, you are the best man. Jake, Mouth, you two are groomsmen. Nathan, I know we didn't get along that much in high school, but I would appreciated if my _brother _would stand up at the altar alongside me," Lucas said, staring at Nathan. Nathan's eyes watered a little then he walked over and they shook hands then embracing each other in a manly hug. All of them looked on in awe at the two brothers who had spent most of their lives hating each other now hugging.

Lucas helped Haley to stand so she could announce her bridesmaids. "Okay girls, all three of you are my bridesmaids. Oh, and I promise not to make you wear ugly dresses. You just can't upstage the bride," she pointed her finger at them and smiled. "Wait, what about the maid of honor," Brooke asked. "My friend Kyla is going to be the maid of honor. You'll meet her later. She's a lot like you Brooke, but a lot like me too." "Sounds like an interesting character," Brooke mused, "When's the wedding?" "The wedding will be in about a month, on May 20th. Can you guys all make it down around then? Come a few days before the wedding of course because we will have the rehearsal dinner and have to prepare and everything." Fergie, now realizing he was the only one left out of the wedding party, spoke up, "Hey, what about me? I don't get to be in the wedding party?" "Sorry Fergie, the priest will only let us have so many groomsmen and bridesmaids," Lucas replied. "What about something else? Need a ring bearer? I'll be a ring bearer," Fergie responded hopefully. "Hey, that's my job," Derek piped in. Everyone laughed at this. "We'll find you something Fergie," Lucas patted his back. Nathan now stood from the table, "Alright everybody, I propose a toast. To Lucas and Haley." He raised his cup and they all bumped their plastic cups together. "To Lucas and Haley," the others replied. Lucas and Haley turned to each other and smiled, he wrapping his arm around her waist. "To us," they said as they tapped cups and shared a sweet, gentle kiss on the lips.


	39. Chapter 39 Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

**Author's Note: **Hey guys! Here is the next chapter! The next one will be the LAST chapter! Tear Not much to say other than I hope you like it! As always, please read and review!

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing. One Tree Hill and its characters are property of the WB.

**Rating: **K+ to T

**Finding Our Way Back **

**Chapter 39 – Girls Just Wanna Have Fun **

"Ugh, this one doesn't fit either," Haley shouted in frustration through the dressing room door. The girls had decided to have an all day bachelorette party for Haley so they could all go shopping for Haley's wedding dress and the bridesmaids dresses as well as regular clothes and other necessities. "Come out and show us," Kyla called out from where she sat with the rest of the girls. Brooke was sprawled out on a armchair with Erica sitting next to her while Peyton and Kyla sat on the floor, talking about the upcoming wedding. "No, I'm not coming out. I look fat in this one. I look fat in all of them," Haley replied with a huff. "Well what do you expect when you're getting married at five months pregnant," Brooke griped. Inside the dressing room, Haley rolled her eyes. Brooke had been complaining all day. If it wasn't one thing, it was another. Normally, Brooke would be jumping at the chance to go shopping and would drag her friends around the mall for hours until their feet hurt. Brooke had been the one to suggest shopping that morning but by now had lost her spunk after spending four hours of going to different bridal shops and trying on wedding dresses. Now all she would do was gripe and complain, occasionally putting in her opinion when Haley would come out in a dress or when the girls would talk about the wedding.

"We didn't know I was pregnant when we settled on April or May," Haley responded. "Haley," Brooke whined, "come on… Let's take a break and get some ice cream. I'm bored." Peyton put a hand over her mouth and gasped with shock, her eyes wide, "Oh my god! Brooke Davis is bored with shopping? Alert the media!" Brooke lightly jabbed Peyton in the side with her flip flop clad foot, "I'm not the one shopping, P. Sawyer, or P. Jagielski, whatever. I just wanna go get some ice cream. I've been wanting some for hours now." "Cravings," Haley said in a sing-song voice as she walked out of the dressing room in her normal clothes. "I'm not pregnant," Brooke said firmly as she straightened up a little and folded one leg over the other, bobbing it in annoyance as she crossed her arms over her chest, "can we go now? I want some chili cheese fries now." "Brooke," Peyton said loudly in astonishment, "that was rude. This is Haley's day and you're ruining all the fun. All you've done today is bitch and complain and I won't have any more of it. So if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything." Tears welled in Brooke's eyes and her lower lip began to stick out as a pout formed on her face. "I-I'm sorry…" she whispered, looking down into her lap and wiping her eyes with her hand as she sniffled through her tears.

Mood swings, Haley thought to herself. It was so blatantly obvious. How could she not notice it? She looked over to Erica, who was looking back at her, and they shared a knowing smile; they were thinking the same thing. Haley walked over to Brooke and wrapped her arms around her friend, rubbing her back to comfort her, "Sh…it's okay. A break sounds good; I need to sit down anyway. My feet hurt after all that standing. Come on, let's go get you your chili cheese fries and me something to drink; I'm thirsty." She wrapped her arm around Brooke's back and began to lead her out of the store, glancing back at the other girls to gesture them to follow and glaring slightly at Peyton for being so mean to Brooke. If Peyton thought what Brooke did was rude, Peyton's little lecture was ten times worse by outright calling her on it.

Once Brooke got her chili cheese fries, she was somewhat happy again, or at least putting on a mask that she was happy and perky again. "Hey! I've got an idea Tutor Mom," Brooke remarked as she chomped down on a fry. "What," Haley asked with a raised eyebrow, taking a sip from her lemonade and a bite from her bowl of fried rice and teriyaki chicken. "Since you're having so much trouble finding a dress, why don't I make it for you? I mean not actually make, make it, but design it. I could do it the way you want and everything," Brooke proposed. Haley looked at her uncertainly, "That would be great Brooke, but could you get it done in three weeks in time for the wedding? I don't want to put you out?" "Oh yeah, it'll be fine. I'll just get my little sweatshop workers workin' and they'll have it done in no time," Brooke smiled. Haley laughed and then hugged her tightly, "Thanks Brooke. This means a lot to me, more than you'll ever know." "No problem Tutor Mom. It's sort of a consolation prize for me since I didn't get to design or even do anything for Blondie's wedding," Brooke responded as she chuckled. Brooke glanced at Peyton and saw that she was staring at her plate, pushing her food around, "Aww come on, perk up Goldilocks! Stop being so sour. Our little Tutor Girl's getting married in three weeks! It's so exciting. You're supposed to be happy!"

"I am happy," she glanced up at Haley out of the corner of her eye as she said this and she saw Haley give her a small smile, telling her that what she had said earlier to Brooke had been mostly forgiven, but not fully yet. "But you don't seem happy-" Brooke was cut off by Peyton shouting. "I am happy Brooke," she protested firmly as she abruptly stood up to go throw her trash away. "Whoa, P. Jagielski MAJOR PMSing," Brooke responded. "I'll be right back," Haley replied as she stood from her chair and walked over to the garbage bins where Peyton was unloading her tray. "Hey, what's wrong," she asked softly as she placed her hand on Peyton's back, "you've been acting kind of weird and moody today, not like your usual self. What's up?" Peyton sighed, "I'm fine. It's just that I never got to do this stuff for my wedding. You know, hanging out with the girls, picking out dresses, actually planning a wedding. Mine was all last minute, spur of the moment, impromptu. I didn't have time to do all this stuff. And then Brooke has just been complaining all day and I couldn't stand to see her ruining your day. I-It just got to me a little. I'm sorry I blew up at her. I didn't really mean to."

Haley rubbed her back, "I know. I'm sorry too; I didn't mean to get mad at you back there in the store when you yelled at Brooke. It's just- I just know Brooke is pregnant. There's this feeling in my gut that says she is…all the signs are there…the cravings, the throwing up, the mood swings and complaining…and I don't see how she doesn't realize it herself. Plus I know how emotional a pregnant woman can get when someone yells at them; I've been there and I know how they need comfort when they're emotional." Peyton nodded in response as she set her tray on top of the trash receptacle. Haley slung her arm around Peyton's shoulders and smiled, "Come on, let's go get the rest of the girls and go shop for bridesmaids dresses then we'll quit for the day and go back to the apartment and watch movies." "Sounds good to me," Peyton grinned back.

Haley and the girls had all decided that to conclude their bachelorette's day out, they would all spend the night in watching movies, playing games, talking, and just doing things girls do. It was like they were teenagers again having a sleepover at someone's house. They had done karaoke for awhile and of course Haley had beat them all out, having the best voice, and now they were all sprawled out or curled up on the various pieces of furniture in their pajamas, each with a pint of ice cream in hand as they watched Jerry Maguire. "I love Tom Cruise. You know, when I was little I used to dream about marrying him and becoming Mrs. Tom Cruise. I love that guy, he's such a good actor," Brooke replied as she took a bite of her Cherry Garcia ice cream. "Brooke Cruise…that doesn't sound right," Kyla said as her nose scrunched, "Brooke Scott does though. When are you and Nathan going to get married? You two have been together for three years." "Kyla! Do not make me come over there and hurt you! You did the same thing to me, ambushed me in front of everyone and Lucas at Thanksgiving with that little comment you made about us getting married, or 'hitched' as you called it," Haley exclaimed. "It got him to step up, didn't it," she smirked with a raised eyebrow. "He had planned on proposing even before you said anything," Haley responded. "Yeah, I'm sure, that's what they all say," Kyla nodded as she rolled her eyes.

"Ugh, we need to find you a man," Haley replied as she leaned her head back against the couch. "I'm perfectly fine on my own. I don't need a man to depend on," Kyla responded indignantly. " God Ky, you're such a romantic," Haley replied sarcastically, "What about love, comfort, companionship?" "Sure, it'd be nice," Kyla replied softly, her face falling a bit, then responded in a stronger tone, "but I don't need a guy right now. I've got too many things going to have time for a guy." The phone rang and she took this as a chance to get away from the awkwardness. She popped up from her chair and began walking to the kitchen to grab the phone, "I'll get it." "Hello," Kyla asked when she answered the phone. "Hey Ky, it's Lucas. Can I talk to Haley," Lucas asked. "Sure," she replied then called out, "Hey Hales! It's for you." "Gee, it is my house Ky. Wouldn't you think it would be for me," Haley responded as she got up from the couch and took the phone from her. "Smartass. It's lover boy," Kyla grinned. "Hey," Haley said as she put the phone to her ear. "Hey, how are my babies doing," Lucas inquired. Haley smiled as she looked down at her stomach and rubbed a hand over the bump, "We're fine. How are you and the guys doing with all the kids?" Lucas, Nathan, Jake, Mouth, Skills, and Fergie had taken Katie, Derek, Jenny, and Lizzie out for the night so the girls could have their sleepover and they were all staying at a hotel. "Everything's okay. We took the kids down to the rivercourt to play basketball then to Chuck E Cheese. We all had a blast. Mouth jumped into the ball pit with Lizzie. It was so hilarious. You should have been there," Lucas laughed.

"Aw, I wish I could have been there too. I bet Erica would have loved to see that," Haley smiled. "Alright, I better go. The guys are calling me whipped for wanting to check on you. I just wanted to make sure everything was going alright over there. Don't gossip too much," he chuckled. "Oh we've already gossiped a lot," she smirked, "I even told them about the time I found you dancing in your boxer shorts with sunglasses like Tom Cruise." "You didn't," he replied. "Of course I did. We were telling each other stuff about our guys and it was too funny not to share," she responded. "What did Brooke say about Nathan? I need something to get him back for calling me whipped." "Well you are whipped," Haley chuckled. "Am not," he answered. "Are too," she said in a sing-song voice. "You gonna give me anything or not," he asked. "Okay, Brooke said that Nathan was better in bed than you," she replied with a straight face then burst out laughing. "What! How does that help me with Nathan? I hope you defended my honor," he answered in shock. "How could I? I never slept with Nathan so I couldn't compare," she smirked. "Well I guess that's a good thing then," he replied, "oh, and tell Brooke that if I was lousy in bed, it was because she did all the instigating and wouldn't let me do anything. She's bossy in bed." "Ew, didn't want to know that about my best friend and my future husband. I'm going to hang up now," she responded as she scrunched her nose in disgust.

Lucas laughed, "Okay Hales, I'll see you tomorrow honey. I love you." "Love you too. Tell the kids goodnight for me, okay," she inquired. "I will," he answered, "night sweetie. Sweet dreams." "Night Luke," she replied then hung up the phone and walked back into the living room, curling up back in her spot on the couch. "So how are lover boy and the kids," Kyla asked. "They're fine," Haley responded then turned to Brooke, "Oh, hey Brooke? Lucas says that the only reason he was bad in bed was because you went all dominatrix on him and controlled everything in the bedroom." "You told him that," she said incredulously. "Yeah, I wanted to play with him a little and see how he'd react," Haley giggled. Brooke groaned and laid her head back against the armchair she was sitting in, "I can't believe you did that." "Sh…everybody be quiet! The good part is coming up," Erica shouted in a whisper as she leaned in towards the television, engrossed in the movie. "Aww," Brooke sniffled through some tears that had welled in her eyes as she watched the screen, "I love this part where Dorothy says, 'You had me at hello.' It's so romantic…"

She took another bite of her ice cream and immediately regretted it as she put her hand to her forehead, "Ooh, brain freeze…" "You alright," Haley asked concernedly. "Yeah, I'm okay. Just took too big of a bite, that's all," Brooke replied. After a little while longer, they finished off the movie and as Kyla stood from the couch to take the movie out, Brooke moaned and wrapped her arms around her stomach, holding her sides. "I don't feel so well…" Brooke said in a weak voice as she lifted her legs up to her chest. "Brooke, are you okay? Do you need to go to the bathroom," Haley asked worriedly as she sat down beside her and placed her hand on her back. "No, I think I'm okay. I think I ate too much ice cream…No wait…I think I am going to throw up…" Brooke covered her mouth with her hand as she made a dash for the bathroom. "Ugh, that's it," Haley shouted in frustration as she stood from her spot, "I've had enough of this. We're going to solve this right now." "What are you talking about Hales? What are you going to do," Peyton inquired in confusion. "I'm going to make that girl take a pregnancy test and prove to her once and for all that I'm right about her being pregnant," Haley responded as she went to her bathroom and grabbed a pregnancy test stick from the cabinets under the sink, grabbing an egg timer from the kitchen along the way to the other bathroom down the hall.

Haley knocked lightly on the door, "Brooke?" She could still hear her retching into the toilet so she slowly opened the door and walked over to her, gathering her hair in her hands and holding it as her friend continued to empty the contents of her stomach. Haley lightly ran her fingers over her back in soothing circles until Brooke finally stopped and she offered her a wet washcloth to wipe her mouth. "Thanks," Brooke whispered as she shakily stood up and flushed the toilet. Haley grabbed her arm to support her on her weak legs. "Brooke, I know you think you aren't pregnant, but I think you are. All the signs are there. So will you please just take this and get it over with," Haley asked as she stretched her arm out to her with the test and timer in her hand. Brooke bit her lip as her eyes welled with tears then slowly reached for them and finally took the items into her own hand. "You can take it in here or you can do it in my bathroom if you want," Haley replied as she rubbed her back, "It takes five minutes for the test so set the timer when you're done and come out and wait with us in the living room, okay?" She nodded then responded quietly, "I-I'll take it in here." "Everything is going to be okay Brooke," Haley hugged her then silently left to room.

"Is she going to take it," Erica asked when Haley reentered the living room and plopped down onto the couch with a sigh. "Yeah, she's in there taking it now," Haley replied. A few minutes later, Brooke returned and curled up beside Haley like a little girl. Haley wrapped her arms around her and stroked her hair slowly, murmuring softly into her ear. The wait was interminable for the five girls in that living room and Haley was sure it was even longer for Brooke, who was so sure that she wasn't pregnant but now unsure of herself because her friends all believed she was. Finally the timer dinged and Brooke slowly rose from the couch, retreating back to the bathroom for the test. She came back a few minutes later, a sad frown on her face. "I'm not pregnant," she whispered, "it's blue, negative." While Kyla, Peyton, and Erica all groaned in disappointment, Haley jumped up, as best as a five month pregnant woman could, and shrieked, "Brooke, you're pregnant! Those tests turn blue when they're positive!" Haley wrapped her in a tight hug as she continued to shriek in excitement, the other girls joining in as they all crowded around her. "I'm pregnant? Oh god, I'm pregnant…" Brooke replied in a shocked state, "How am I going to tell Nathan?" "He'll be happy for you Brooke; you're having his child. I know he will make a great father," Haley smiled. "Thanks Hales," Brooke whispered as she hugged her friend. Suddenly, she got excited at the news of a baby. "Oh my god! Tutor Mom, we're going to be pregnant together! It's going to be so great," Brooke shrieked herself. Haley, who had tears in her eyes, took Brooke's hand and placed it on her round belly then placed her own hand on Brooke's flat stomach. "Our kids are going to be cousins," she said quietly as she sniffled, her voice full of emotion. "Yeah," Brooke whispered dazedly.


	40. Chapter 40 What We’ve Been Through To

**Author's Note: ** Hey guys! VERY LONG time no see! I had very bad writer's block for this chapter since it is the LAST chapter. But to make up for it, it is VERY long compared to the usual length of the chapters. Well, I won't keep you any longer because I know you're just DYING to read this chapter! I REALLY hope you like it! As always, please read and review! I LOVE your guys' feedback!

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing. One Tree Hill and its characters are property of the WB.

**Rating: **K+ to T

**Finding Our Way Back **

**Chapter 40 – What We've Been Through To Lead Us To Where We Are Now **

"Tutor Mom! Come on, wake up! Wake up, WAKE UP! It's your wedding day and in nine hours, you're going to become Mrs. Broody Scott," Brooke shouted giddily as she bounced into the room and gently shook Haley awake. It had been a whirlwind three weeks since the bachelorette party, busy with finalizing wedding details and finishing up exams for the end of the year at school. Brooke had gone to the doctor with Haley to find out how far along she was, which had been seven weeks at the time, now making her at two and a half months pregnant and perkier than ever despite the morning sickness and mood swings. "Mmm, Tigger…" Haley whined as she tried to move farther from her and swatted at her hands with her eyes still closed, "go away. Let me sleep for another two hours." "Nope! You have to get up! C'mon Hales, it's your wedding day," Brooke exclaimed in excitement. "If you don't let me sleep for at least another hour, I'm going to tell Nathan about the bun in your oven," Haley mumbled, "Why haven't you told him anyway?" "I'm waiting for the right time," she responded. "Since when in the last few weeks have you not had a million opportunities to tell him," Haley replied. "I know, but I wanted to wait until the perfect time. I might tell him today at the wedding reception; I haven't decided yet. Speaking of weddings, get your ass up so we can go get your hair and nails done," Brooke shouted. "No! One more hour of sleep then I swear I'll get up! Please Brooke, just one more hour or I'm going to be dead and falling asleep at the wedding. One more hour," Haley pleaded as she buried her head into her pillow. "Fine," Brooke huffed as she placed her hands on her hips, "one hour."

"Haley," Brooke shrieked two hours later as she entered the room and shook her awake, "you said only an hour! Get your ass up now and get dressed! We're going to be late for your hair and nails appointment!" "Okay, okay," Haley responded as she slowly sat up and rubbed a hand over her stomach, "Where's Katie?" "In the den watching television with Jenny and she's ready, unlike you," Brooke responded with a little glare, "Now hop to, we've gotta get going." As Brooke helped Haley stand from the bed, Haley asked, "Where are the rest of the girls?" "Peyton went to go pick up the bridesmaid dresses, Kyla took Derek to Lucas, and Erica is out getting food for all of us. Now you need to get dressed so we can go to the salon right after we eat." Brooke replied. "Alright, I'll be out in a bit. I'm going to go take a shower," Haley stated as she grabbed an outfit from her dresser then a towel from the linen closest as she headed to the bathroom. "Don't take too long," Brooke called out.

Haley had just stepped out of the bathroom when the phone rang and she waddled over to the phone in the kitchen, "Hello, James residence, Haley James speaking." "That's soon-to-be Scott residence and soon-to-be Mrs. Haley Scott," Lucas grinned when he heard her voice. Haley chuckled, "Hey." "Hey, how's everything going over there," he asked. "Apparently we're behind schedule because I slept too late and it's the end of the world if I miss my hair and nails appointment," Haley rolled her eyes, "How's it going with Derek and the guys?" "It's going good. All of us are going to head down to the rivercourt to play some basketball for awhile then go and check to see how the preparation for the wedding is coming along then come back here and just hang out, watch some television or something," he answered. "Okay, well I better get off. Brooke's glaring at me again. I'll see you later Mr. Scott," Haley said as she smiled. "Alright, I'll see you this afternoon in your wedding gown, Mrs. Scott. I love you," Lucas responded softly. Haley giggled, "Love you too sweetie. Bye." She hung up the phone and Brooke threw her hands up in the air in exasperation, "Finally! Come on, you've got to eat then we've gotta get down to the salon." "Jeez Brooke, how much caffeine did you have today? You're bouncing around like a bunny on crack," Haley remarked with a laugh. "I, Brooke Davis, am running solely on the high of excitement about this wedding and have had no caffeine today…okay, well maybe just a cup…" "Brooke! You know caffeine isn't good for the baby," Haley exclaimed with wide eyes. "I swear I'll switch to decaf after this wedding is over," Brooke held up her right hand in promise.

"Brooke, when you're pregnant there are some things you can and can't do. One of them is drinking regular coffee, so you're going to have to switch to decaf. That also means no caps or fraps. You can have diet soda or caffeine-free soda, but in moderation. Being pregnant means you're gonna have to make some changes," Haley instructed sternly. "No caps or fraps," Brooke asked incredulously then looked down at her stomach and placed her hand there, "baby, you are so lucky Mommy loves you. You're going to make the next seven months hell for me, aren't you?" Haley laughed, "It gets better after the first trimester. The morning sickness goes away and you feel a little more energetic. Plus, you'll feel the baby start kicking." Haley grinned as she placed her hand on her stomach, feeling the movements of her own child from inside. "I can't wait," Brooke smiled excitedly. "Okay, let's go get some food, I'm starving," Haley replied as she walked to the dining room where Erica had set out all the food. "Oh me too, let's eat," Brooke shrieked happily as she plopped down into a chair and began to quickly stuff her mouth with bites of pancakes and sausage. Haley, Peyton, Erica, and Kyla all stared at her weirdly with raised eyebrows and smirks on their faces. "What," Brooke asked confusedly when she looked up, seeing them all staring at her. "Oh, you're definitely pregnant alright," Haley laughed and the others joined in. Brooke just shrugged and went back to her breakfast.

"Okay, first we're going to get your nails done then your toes, then we'll wash and dry your hair, pluck your eyebrows, then we'll get you a wax-" Brooke was cut off from naming her list of things to do by Haley shouting as they parked the SUV Erica and Mouth had come down with at the salon. "Hold it right there! I am not getting waxed," she shrieked. "But what about the wedding and your honeymoon? I'm sure Lucas is taking you somewhere tropical where there's a beach and it's sunny all the time," Brooke asked with a pout. "Brooke, no one is going to see my legs under my dress and I sure as hell can't fit in a bikini. If you want to shave them manually with a razor, then by all means go ahead, but I am not getting waxed!" "Fine, fine," Brooke responded with a wave of her hand then pointed to her, "no wax, but you're getting everything else missy." Haley sighed as she followed the girls into the salon, "Alright, let's get this over with."

"How do you want your hair," Kyla asked after Haley had gotten her finger and toenails done, fluffing her hair a little. "I want it down with large curls in the ends, and layered too. I've got to have it down otherwise I won't be able to fit the tiara on right," Haley replied as she stared at herself in the mirror. "Mommy, look at my nails," Katie said excitedly as she ran up to her and thrust her hands out for her mother to see. "Ooh, they're pretty sweetie," Haley responded as she stared at her daughter's shiny light pink painted nails. "Thanks Mommy," Katie replied then placed a hand on Haley's stomach, "How's Baby Sis doing? I bet she's excited about you and Daddy getting married today." Haley smiled as she placed her hand beside Katie's, "She is; she's been kicking all day ever since Mommy woke up." Katie's eyes grew wide, "You mean it really is a sister? It's a girl?" "I don't know sweetie. We haven't found out yet, but I'm hoping for a little girl just like you," Haley grinned as she lightly tapped her on the nose. She giggled and wrapped her little arms around her mother's neck, "I love you Mommy." Haley hugged her back, "I love you too sweetie." "Okay, Mommy has to get her hair done now. Why don't you sit in this chair next to her and a nice lady will do your hair too," Kyla suggested as she offered her hand out to the little girl. "Okay Aunt Kiki," Katie replied as she slipped down from Haley's chair and took her hand so Kyla could help her into the one next to Haley. "Alright girlie girls, enough gossiping and chatting, let's get this show on the road! We've still got to get our hair done and we've got to be at the church in a couple hours," Brooke exclaimed as she walked up with a slew of women that would be doing all of the girls' hair behind her.

A few hours later, all of the wedding party was at the church getting ready for the wedding that would take place in only two short hours. "Daddy, I wanna go see Mommy," Derek whined from the couch where he sat, swinging his legs in boredom as he watch his father, Uncle Nathan, Skills, Mouth, and Jake getting dressed in their tuxes in front of the mirrors. He was already dressed in his little tailored tuxedo suit, polished black dress shoes, and wearing little white gloves with a flower in his left breast pocket. Lucas debated in his head for a moment if he should let him go see her, but ultimately decided to let him. "Alright D, you can go see mommy," Lucas replied. "Yay," Derek exclaimed in response as he slid off the couch and walked towards the door. "I'll take him," Nathan told Lucas then gave him a half smile, "can't let the groom see the bride until she walks down that aisle." "Thanks bro," Lucas smiled as he patted Nathan on the shoulder. Nathan grinned in return, wanting to see how Brooke looked in her bridesmaid dress. He knew she would look beautiful. Nathan took Derek by the hand and led him to the room where the girls were getting dressed, knocking on the door. "Who is it," he heard Peyton call from inside.

"It's Nathan. Derek wants to see Haley," he replied and a few seconds later, the door opened. "Haley's getting dressed, but she'll be out in a couple minutes," Peyton replied with a smile as she let them in. Derek raced over to Katie and they embraced, never having been separated that long before in their entire lives. "You look pretty Katie," he said when she saw her dress. "Thanks, you do too," she responded with a giggle. Nathan and Peyton watched the exchange between the two siblings. They were so much like their parents it was scary sometimes, both like a little mini Lucas and Haley. "Hey, what are you doing here," Brooke smiled as she walked up to him and gave him a light kiss on the lips. Nathan slid an arm around her waist and pulled her close, "Hey beautiful." Brooke blushed at the compliment, "You don't look so bad yourself Scott. Now what are you doing here?" "Derek wanted to see Haley so I brought him over," he nodded toward the twins. "What about me," Haley asked as she came out of the dressing room in her wedding dress. Nathan's breath caught in his throat at the sight of her. She was wearing a strapless embroidered satin A-line dress with a split front overskirt along with a pair of long white gloves that went up to her elbows. She also had on a tiara with rhinestone daisies and pearls on it. "You look amazing Hales. Luke's going to drop dead when he sees you," he responded. "I hope not," Haley chuckled then hugged him, "Thanks Nate." "Alright, I better go. It's getting near time," he smiled. "Tell Lucas I love him," she responded then added, "oh, and give him a kiss for me." "Anything but that last request Hales," he replied with a disgusted expression on his face. Her eyes crinkled in laughter.

Once Nathan left the room, Derek ran up to his mother, his arms outstretched, "Mommy! I missed you!" "I missed you too sweetie," Haley leaned down and hugged her son then straightened and took a few steps back, "Let me get a good look at you." Haley's eyes welled with tears at the sight of her son in a little tux. He and Katie were both growing up so fast. She wanted them to stay kids forever but knew that would never happen. "You look so handsome baby," she smiled as she hugged him again. "I'm not a baby anymore, Mommy. I'm a big boy. This is baby now," Derek replied as he placed his hand on her stomach and gently patted it, "How's my baby brother doing?" "He's doing fine, D, but we don't know if it's a boy or a girl yet, so it could be a baby sister," Haley smiled as she rubbed her stomach. "Yay," Katie cheered, "I want a sister!" "It could be a baby brother, Katie," Derek responded then turned to his mother with hopeful eyes, "Please Mommy, I want a baby brother. Can I have a baby brother?" "It's not in my hands, D," Haley laughed as she ruffled his unruly hair. "Mom-my," Derek whined as he pushed her hand away, "you're messing up my hair!"

Ten minutes later, Karen entered the dressing room and immediately teared up at the sight of Haley in her wedding gown. She rushed over to Haley and embraced her in a tight hug, "Oh honey, you look so grown up…You look beautiful…I can't believe both my babies are getting married…I remember like it was just yesterday when you two met and became best friends for life, wreaking havoc around the house and at the playground…" "Aww Karen, don't cry. You're going to make me cry…" Haley pulled a tissue from a box on the counter behind her and wiped the woman's tears as she began to sniffle. "Do not make her cry," Brooke ordered, "I just got done with her makeup and I'm not doing it again. Plus we don't want you to get your wedding dress dirty." "How are my daughter and grandchild doing today," Karen smiled as she placed her hand on Haley's protruding stomach and rubbed gently. Haley grinned back, "We're doing great, both of us are very anxious. The baby's been moving around and kicking a lot ever since Brooke so rudely awakened me this morning." "Hey, I had to get you up. Would you rather miss your own wedding," she shot back with a smirk. "I wouldn't have missed it for the world," Haley smiled, a dreamy look in her eyes.

There was a knock on the door and Nathan's head popped in for a moment before closing the door again, "Thirty minutes girls." "I'm going to go see Lucas before he leaves," Karen responded as she hugged Haley again, "I can't wait to see you out there…you look beautiful…" "Thanks Mom," Haley sniffled as she wiped her own tears away with a tissue. Karen then left and went over to the guys' dressing room, knocking before entering. "Lucas," she called out after not seeing anyone in there. "Mom," Lucas smiled as he came out from the bathroom in his tux. Karen became emotional again as she stared up at her son, so handsome and grown up. She rushed over and wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace, "Oh my boy, my baby boy…you're so grown up…you have a wonderful family with another baby on the way and now you're getting married…Time flies by so fast…" "Mom, please don't cry. You know I hate seeing you cry," Lucas responded in a choked up voice as he rubbed her back and stroked her hair. Karen pulled away and wiped her tears with the tissue Haley had previously given her, "I can't help it. My little boy's growing up." She reached up and softly ran her hand over his hair then caressed his cheek. "Ma," Lucas groaned, "you're going to mess up my hair." "Sorry," she smiled through her watery eyes.

Skills' entered the room, "Yo Luke, the car's out front. We've got to get going." "Alright, I'll be there in a minute," Lucas responded with a wave of his hand. Skills left and he looked down to his mother, who looked back up at him as she straightened his tie and dusted off his shoulders, making sure there were no lines or creases in the fabric. "I always knew this day would come…you and Haley getting married…It seems like only yesterday you two met…" "Aww Mom, don't get all mushy on me here," Lucas replied. "I love you Lucas, and I wish all the best that life can give you," she responded, stroking his cheek again. "I do have all the best. I have you, Haley, the twins, the new baby. I couldn't ask for anything more," he smiled. "Luke come on man, we really gotta go. You don't want to be late to your own wedding, do you," Skills popped his head in the door again. "I'm coming," he answered then turned back to Karen, "I love you Mom. I'll see you out there." "I'll be the one crying in the front row," she smiled, the tears already welling in her eyes again.

Lucas fidgeted nervously at the altar, glancing at his watch every few seconds. Where were the girls? More specifically, where was Haley? They weren't late by any means but he was just anxious to get the ceremony started so he could finally be married to the love of his life. "Where are they," Lucas asked Skills impatiently, who stood beside him, with a worried and nervous expression on his face. "Chill dawg. They'll be here," Skills replied as he patted Lucas' shoulder. Lucas continued to fidget as the minutes passed, finally stopping and breathing a sigh of relief when he saw his son and daughter appearing from behind a grove of trees. They came to a standstill at the end of the aisle, waiting for the music to start. Katie was wearing a dress similar to Haley's, only it was a pale pink color with an embroidered bodice and split front skirt, a little bow in the center of the waistline. She held a basket of flower petals in her hands and Derek held a satin embroidered pillow with the rings securely fastened onto it with some ribbon, lest he dropped it.

Finally music began to play and the two children clasped hands, holding the basket between them as they started to walk down the aisle, with Katie gently tossing flower petals into the air. Both Katie and Derek giggled softly when some landed in their hair. As they continued down the carpeted walkway, soon Kyla, Brooke, Peyton, and Erica appeared and slowly moved towards the head of the altar, near the arch where Lucas and Haley would soon be joined in holy matrimony. Lucas inhaled a deep breath and straightened up, clasping his hands in front of him, as the bridal march song started. His eyes were trained on the spot where the grove of trees ended, yearning to see his wife-to-be. Finally, she appeared like an angel dressed in her white wedding gown, with her tiara on her head and the veil covering her face. In one hand she held a beautiful bouquet of flowers and her other arm was securely linked through Whitey's, who was escorting her down the aisle. Lucas' breath hitched in his throat at the sight of her. She was stunning and breathtaking and he could never have loved her more than he did at that moment. She was smiling widely and glowing, bathed in an ethereal light as the sun began its descent from the sky down to the horizon.

They stopped two feet away from the arch where Lucas stood, waiting for the priest to begin. "We are gathered here today to celebrate one of life's greatest moments, to give recognition to the worth and beauty of love, and to add our best wishes to the words which shall unite Lucas Eugene Scott and Haley Elizabeth James in marriage," the priest said as he stared at first Lucas and Haley then the audience, "Should there be anyone who has just cause why this couple should not be united in holy matrimony, please speak now or forever hold your peace." No one said a word, not even a whisper, cough, or sneeze was heard for the few seconds of silence the priest had given time for objections. Haley and Lucas smiled at each other as she and Whitey took a few steps forward. "Who is it that brings this woman to this man," the priest asked. "I do on behalf of her family and friends," Whitey replied and patted Haley on the arm, letting her go and stepping back to take his seat in the front row. Lucas grinned as he took Haley's hand and guided her closer to him to where they were standing in front of each other. Her stomach was pressed up against his abdomen and he could feel their child kicking from inside, quite vigorously he might add. He rubbed his hand over her stomach as he stared into her brown doe eyes, whispering to her, "You look beautiful, amazing. I love you so much." "I love you too," Haley smiled as the priest began to continue his speech. "Life is given to each of us as individuals, and yet we must learn to live together. Love is given to us by our family and by our friends. We learn to love by being loved. Learning to love and living together is one of our greatest challenges of life – and is the shared goal of a married life. Now, do either of you have vows you wish to express to each other," the priest asked of the couple. "I do," both Lucas and Haley said at the same time as they grinned at each other. There was soft laughter throughout the audience. The priest chuckled, "Well then, Lucas you may go first."

Lucas took both of Haley's hands into his own as he smiled down lovingly at her, "Haley, we have known each other for over twenty years, since we were two years old running around in diapers and wreaking havoc on Mom's living room. We were Luke and Hales, iron-strong friendship. Mom always said, wished, hoped, that one day we would become more than just best friends and someday marry. At that time, when we were just young adolescents, it was unfathomable to me that, that would ever happen. We were kids and best friends, the thought of us together as more never crossed my mind. But as we grew older, entered middle school and high school, I found myself loving you as more than just a best friend. I was falling hopelessly in love with you more and more with every day that passed. I was scared to tell you of my feelings because I knew you didn't feel that way about me and I didn't want to ruin our friendship. Then I joined the basketball team and things started to change between us. You started dating Nathan; I was jealous and so protective of you because even though I couldn't have you, I didn't want you to get hurt by him. I couldn't stand to see you with him when I was so in love with you; it hurt to watch you kiss him or him kiss you because I wanted to be the one you kissed, the one kissing you. That's part of the reason I had decided to go to Charleston; it hurt too much to see you two together. Then we shared that night together and it was so amazing...my dreams came true that night, if only for a little while, because we were finally together as more than just best friends. Then I woke up the next morning and you were gone, only leaving a note that said goodbye…After that, I knew you needed space, so I left. I tried calling you so many times, but I just couldn't do it. I didn't know what to say; what you would say. So after awhile, it just got easy not calling you. I never meant for us to just totally drop each other like that. I mean, we were best friends for sixteen years and then we just up and stopped talking to each other altogether. Despite all those years we spent apart, you were always with me, always my best friend through everything, no matter that we didn't speak or see each other anymore. You were always in my heart," Lucas kissed the back of her hand and placed it on his chest where his heart beat inside, "The day I decided to come back to Tree Hill, I was going through some of my old boxes I had never unpacked and I found a picture along with the note you placed on my pillow that morning before you left. You said, 'I hope with all my heart that you find the answers you're searching for, but just remember that there is only one Tree Hill and it is your home.' I found all the answers I needed in you, Haley, and you are my home. You are my guiding force that I thank God every day led me back to you. Even after all our time spent apart, I still felt a connection with you and I believe with all my heart and soul that we were always destined to be together and that we were always trying to find our way back to each other. I love you Hales, and I promise to love and cherish you, to take care of you with all my heart, body, and soul for as long as I live."

By now, Haley was crying silently with tears streaming down her cheeks. She squeezed his hands as she tried to compose herself and regain her voice. "Lucas, ever since we were young I have loved you. Like your mother, I always wished and hoped that we would one day become more than best friends, but I was scared too. I didn't want to ruin a friendship that was so important and meant so much to me. One day you asked me if I thought we would ever get married, even though we were only the tender age of six, and I wondered why you would ask such a question. You said, 'Who better to marry than my best friend, the one person who knows me best other than my mom.' At a young age, all little girls dream of one day marrying their Prince Charming or the perfect man; even when I was six years old, the only person I could imagine marrying was my best friend. That day you asked me what my dream wedding would be like and now here we are under our tree celebrating the most important day of the rest of our lives...You are so wonderful and I love you so much…You are my best friend, my Prince Charming, my perfect man, and now my husband…I will love you and take care of you, cherish you with all my heart and I promise I will _never_ let you go." She caressed his cheek softly as the tears continued to stream down her cheeks and she stared up into his watery blue eyes. He leaned his head into her hand for a moment then took it and kissed her palm gently. "I love you," he whispered.

The priest now proceeded with the traditional ceremonial vows, "Lucas, you take Haley to be your wife? Do you promise to love, honor, cherish and protect her, forsaking all others and holding only unto her?" "I do," Lucas smiled as he gazed at Haley lovingly. "Haley, do you take Lucas to be your husband? Do you promise to love, honor, cherish and protect him, forsaking all others and holding only unto him?" Haley smiled as she stared into his sparkling blue eyes, her heart swelling with so much love for the man standing in front of her. "I do," she whispered, starting to get emotional again. "The rings please," the priest requested, and Derek offered the pillow out to him, letting the man slip the wedding bands from the ribbons that held them. He handed the ring for Haley to Lucas, "Lucas, please repeat after me." However, Lucas held his hand up to stop him from continuing then turned back to Haley, "I, Lucas Eugene Scott, take thee, Haley Elizabeth James, to be my wife- to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, and I promise my love to you forevermore." Lucas slid the ring onto her finger and smiled down at her. The priest handed Lucas' ring to Haley and her chin trembled as the tears began to fall again. She took a deep breath as she tried to steady her voice, "I, Haley Elizabeth James, take thee, Lucas Eugene Scott, to be my husband- to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, and I promise my love to you forevermore." She slid the ring onto his finger and grinned up at him. "By the power vested in me by the state of North Carolina, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride," the priest concluded with a smile.

It took all of Lucas' will power not to rip that veil off and plant a hard, passionate kiss on Haley's lips, something he had been longing to do all day. He carefully lifted the veil and pushed it back, taking her in his arms and tenderly placing his lips on hers. The kiss seemed to last for eternity as they got lost in each other, everything and everyone else fading away where only they remained. Finally they pulled away after hearing someone clear their throat. Nathan. Both grinned sheepishly and Haley blushed a light crimson. Music began to play and Lucas wrapped an arm around her waist as they began their walk down the aisle, now as husband and wife. Katie and Derek clasped hands and began to walk down the aisle too, following after their parents. Skills held out his arm to Kyla and she linked her arm through his as they walked behind the children. Kyla smiled adoringly at the couple then the kids. She looked up at Skills and smiled as she whispered quietly, "Aw, they're so cute. I want one." Skills chuckled, "I'm sure Luke and Haley won't want to let either of them go." She lightly slapped his arm, "I know that. I meant one of my own. I need to find myself a man…or otherwise a sperm donor," she giggled. Skills' expression turned to one of utter shock and he didn't say another word the whole rest of the way down the aisle. Next to follow were Brooke and Nathan then Peyton and Jake, Erica and Mouth.

While Lucas and Haley went off to go change, more specifically Haley so she wouldn't dirty her dress, the wedding party, friends, and family made their way over to the rivercourt where the reception would be held. The sun was slowly setting and the fairy lights strung around the court gave the area an ethereal, romantic glow. When Haley and Lucas' limo pulled up, Skills took the microphone as he called out to everyone, "I am pleased to announce my two best friends for the first time as husband and wife, Mr. and Mrs. Lucas Scott! It's about damn time you two got hitched!" Cheers and congratulations went all around to the happy couple as they walked onto the rivercourt hand in hand. Once the clamor died down a little, Haley and Lucas shared their first dance as husband and wife to 98 Degrees' song, 'My Everything'.

_The loneliness of nights alone  
The search for strength to carry on  
My every hope has seemed to die  
My eyes had no more tears to cry  
Then like the sun shining up above  
You surrounded me with your endless love  
Coz all the things I couldn't see are now so clear to me_

You are my everything  
Nothing your love won't bring  
My life is yours alone  
The only love I've ever known  
Your spirit pulls me through  
When nothing else will do  
Every night I pray  
On bended knee  
That you will always be  
My everything

Now all my hopes and all my dreams  
Are suddenly reality  
You've opened up my heart to feel  
A kind of love that's truly real  
A guiding light that'll never fade  
There's not a thing in life that I would ever trade  
For the love you give it won't let go  
I hope you'll always know

You are my everything  
Nothing your love won't bring  
My life is yours alone  
The only love I've ever known  
Your spirit pulls me through  
When nothing else will do  
Every night I pray  
On bended knee  
That you will always be  
My everything

You're the breath of life in me  
The only one that sets me free  
And you have made my soul complete  
For all time (for all time)

You are my everything (you are my everything)  
Nothing your love won't bring (nothing your love won't bring)  
My life is yours alone (alone)  
The only love I've ever known  
Your spirit pulls me through (your spirit pulls me through)  
When nothing else will do (when nothing else will do)  
Every night I pray (I pray)  
On bended knee (on my knee)  
That you will always be  
Be my everything

You are my everything  
Nothing your love won't bring  
My life is yours alone  
The only love I've ever known  
Your spirit pulls me through  
When nothing else will do  
Every night I pray  
On bended knee  
That you will always be  
My everything

Every night I pray  
Down on bended knee  
That you will always be  
My everything  
Oh my everything

"I love you," Lucas whispered into her ear as he nuzzled her hair with his nose. Haley stroked the back of his head as she kissed him softly, "I love you too, so much…" "So, how does it feel to be Mrs. Lucas Scott," he grinned. "It's been a long time coming," she smiled, "I've been waiting since I was six years old to marry you." He chuckled as he kissed her forehead, "Well, we've got the rest of our lives to make up for that although I highly doubt that it would have been legal for two six year olds to get married even with parental consent." "Oh shut up you," she laughed as she took his chin in her hand and guided his lips to her mouth.

Soon the cake was cut and Lucas fed a small piece to Haley and she, in turn, stuffed her piece in his face. Next, the flowers were tossed and Kyla being the tallest, not that she was really trying to catch them anyway, caught the bouquet. Then Haley's leg was propped up on a low stool, because being nearly eight months pregnant wasn't conducive to propping it up on a chair, and Lucas pulled the garter belt off, flinging it into the crowd of guys. Everyone laughed out loud when it landed on Skills' bald head while he just stood there with a shocked and perplexed expression on his face. Half an hour later, everyone was dancing again to the slow, smooth tune of Backstreet Boys' song 'Drowning'.

_Don't pretend you're sorry  
I know you're not  
I know you've got the power  
To make me weak inside  
And girl you leave me breathless  
But it's okay  
Cause you are my survival  
Now hear me say_

I can't imagine  
Life without your love  
And even forever  
Don't seem like long enough

Every time I breathe I take you in  
Then my heart beats again  
Baby I can't help it  
Keep me drowning in your love  
And every time I try to rise above  
I'm swept away by love  
Baby I can't help it  
Keep me drowning in your love

Maybe I'm a drifter  
Maybe not  
Cause I have known the safety  
Of floating freely in your arms  
I don't need another life line  
It's not for me  
Cause only you can save me  
Oh, can't you see

I can't imagine  
Life without your love  
And even forever  
Don't seem like long enough  
(Don't seem like long enough yeah)

Cause every time I breathe I take you in  
Then my heart beats again  
Baby I can't help it  
Keep me drowning in your love  
And every time I try to rise above  
I'm swept away by love  
Baby I can't help it  
Keep me drowning in your love

Go on and pull me under  
Cover me with dreams, yeah  
Love me mouth to mouth now  
That you know I can't resist  
Cause your the air that I breathe

Every time I breathe I take you in  
(Cause every time I breathe yeah)  
Then my heart beats again  
Baby I can't help it  
(baby I can't help it)  
Keep me drowning in your love  
And every time I try to rise above  
I'm swept away by love  
Baby I can't help it  
Keep me drowning in your love

Baby I can't help it  
Keep me drowning in your love  
(Drowning)

You've got me drowning  
Keep drowning in your love

Baby I can't help it  
Can't help it  
Can't help it  
Oh, no no

Cause ever time I breathe I take you in  
(yes I do)  
Then my heart beats again  
(oh)  
Baby I can't help it  
(baby I can't help it)  
Keep me drowning in your love  
And every time I try to rise above  
(drowning)  
I'm swept away by love  
Baby I can't help it  
Keep me drowning in your love

Lucas and Haley were dancing close together with his arms wrapped around her waist, her stomach pressed into his abdomen, and her arms were curled around his neck, her head resting against his chest. Lucas felt the baby kicking actively against him and he rubbed his hand over her belly then placed it on her side, caressing and stroking the bump slowly with his thumb. They moved around in a small circle along with their friends and family on the dance floor that had been put down on the asphalt of the rivercourt. "The baby must be pretty happy. It's been kicking frequently all afternoon," Lucas said quietly. "All day," she nodded as she lifted her head from his chest a little and looked around at all their friends and family. Her smile grew and her eyes sparkled when she saw Kyla and Skills dancing together with their arms around each other and Skills whispering words into her ear that were making her grin and laugh. "Look," Haley said excitedly as she pointed out the pair to Lucas then turned back to him, "I never really thought about it, but those two are perfect for each other." "So you're going to play matchmaker now, are you," he responded with a smirk. "Nope, looks like we don't have to anymore," Haley giggled as she pointed to them again, now sharing a kiss. Haley's eyes landed on Mouth and Erica, who held their young daughter Lizzie between them with the little girl's head resting against her father's chest as she sucked her thumb. She spotted Peyton and Jake with their arms wrapped around each other's waists, Jake's cheek pressed to Peyton's forehead. Her gaze then found Nathan and Brooke, who were dancing close together similar to herself and Lucas, with her arms around Nathan's neck and his hands on her hips. She saw Brooke whispering in his ear and the shocked, wide-eyed expression befall his face once she pulled her head away from his ear to look at him. Nathan looked down to her stomach and tentatively placed his hand there, looking back up to her in questioning. Brooke nodded as a wide smile spread across her face and Nathan engulfed her in a tight hug, spinning her gently.

Haley fixed her gaze back to Lucas and she smiled up at him as she gestured with a nod of her head towards Brooke and Nathan, "The kids are going to have a cousin soon." "Brooke's pregnant," he asked. "Two and a half months," she responded as she looked back over to the couple and gasped softly as she whispered, "Oh my god…" "What," Lucas inquired concernedly. "Look…" she pointed to where Brooke was standing with her hands covering her cheeks in shock and tears streaming down her cheeks as Nathan got down on one knee and produced a velvet box from his pocket. Lucas grinned, "He's been wanting to propose for weeks. He was just waiting for the right time." Haley lightly slapped his shoulder, "Why didn't you tell me?" "He just told me today," he responded, "and I didn't see you so eager to tell me about Brooke being pregnant." "She wanted me to keep quiet about it. She was scared that if I told you, you would tell Nathan. She was waiting for the right time to tell him too," she grinned as she moved her arms down and wrapped them around his torso. "Well I guess it looks like we'll be having two new additions to the Scott family then," Lucas chuckled.

"Luke, I have something to tell you…" Haley trailed off as she looked up into his blue eyes, her own eyes starting to water. "What? Is something the matter," Lucas asked concernedly as he stopped their dancing. Haley stood on her tiptoes and whispered in his ear, "It's twins again…" She pulled back with a smile on her face and tears streaming down her cheeks. Thank god she had worn no-run mascara and very little foundation. Lucas stared at her, dazed, for a moment before he broke out into a wide grin and excitement in his eyes as he chuckled and pulled her close again, "Oh we are so going to need a bigger house." She giggled as she laid her head on his chest and rubbed her stomach. "I love you so much," Lucas whispered as he kissed the top of her head. "I love you too…" she smiled but it quickly faded into a grimace. "What's wrong," Lucas asked worriedly, his brows furrowing in concern. "Uh, Luke? My water just broke…"

**Epilogue **

_Seven years later… _

"Mom! Dad! Adam and Taylor are fighting again," Katie complained as she walked into her parent's bedroom. "What is it this time," Haley asked, rolling her eyes. "They're fighting over who is better at basketball AGAIN and over who gets the basketball. I swear, it's a never-ending battle with those two," Katie responded as she threw her hands up in the air in frustration. "They're your kids, you go deal with them," Haley grinned as she nudged Lucas in the side. "Katie, there's a whole bin full of basketballs in the garage, you know that. Just get one from the bin and give it to one of them then let the other one have the other ball. I'll be out there to talk to them in a minute," Lucas responded. "Okay," Katie replied then left to room, heading towards the garage to retrieve a basketball.

Lucas smiled as he kissed her forehead and rubbed her already burgeoning stomach, "What do you think this one's going to be?" "This one's a girl," Haley stated matter-of-factly as she placed her hand beside his. "Are you sure it's not twins again? You're showing earlier than you did with Adam and Tay. Maybe it's triplets," he grinned. "Lucas Eugene Scott, I am not having twins! If this turns out to be another set of twins or triplets, I swear to god you're going to the doctor and getting castrated because I am not going through that again!" "Uh, don't you mean a vasectomy Hales," he asked nervously. "Nope, castrated," Haley exclaimed as she giggled and cuddled close to her husband, resting her head on his chest and kissing his jaw. It was then Katie appeared in the doorway of their bedroom, soaking wet, with a dark scowl on her face, "Crisis averted. They've moved on to water balloons." "They are SO your children," she then added before trudging off to get a towel. Haley and Lucas just burst out laughing.

THE END!

**Author's Note 2: **I would like to thank each and every one of you personally for reading and reviewing my story and offering so much support for it, but there are too many of you to thank each and every individual who reviewed. I want to thank Tay, Malin, Christina, Lin, Ali, ForeverYours, and maggymoo for all you support and always being devoted to this story. All of the feedback I get from you guys, all of you, means so much to me. It brightens my day when I've had a bad one or makes my day even better to come on and read all the wonderful reviews. I cannot thank you all enough. On another note, The Sweetest Sin will be ending next within a few chapters and after then I may do a few short stories or one-parters, but probably not any long stories for awhile because I am starting college next week and I won't have as much time to write because I'll be loaded up with homework and papers! Yikes! Anyway, thank you all again. You are a great bunch of people! LONG LIVE LALEY! (Excuse me for any weird random comments, I'm posting this at three in the morning! I know, I just had to get this chapter out to you.)


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